Naughty Needles
by Comidia Del Arte
Summary: When Eva made the choice to open a small tattoo parlor in her hometown of Gotham, doing work on criminals was par for the course. Yet, she never thought her work would attract the attention of one of Gotham's most feared criminals.
1. Welcome to Naughty Needles

It wasn't exactly easy owning a business in the middle of a shit hole like Gotham… Now some would assume this statement to be something of an opinion, but in Eva's case this statement was a fact and in her case an incredibly harsh truth. Sure, rent on the building was reasonable. Shit, she was a college drop out in her mid-twenties who ran her own business. She was her own boss, how many college graduates could say that… Probably many, but that was beside the point. Either way, Gotham was a rough place, difficult to grow up in and difficult to stay in. Most people tried to get out once they hit college, but being a foster kid wasn't from a city with a reputation wasn't very attractive to colleges outside of Gotham.

Spinning the keys to the shop around her point finger, Eva locked the door and went about cleaning up. She had a strict rule that artists clean their stations, but that didn't exactly mean the floor was safe from germs. Eva had been questioning for a couple years her thought process on renting out a location on the docks. All that wind, sometimes the sand got in. It was mess. Hell, one time a fucking seagull sauntered into the place. Smirking, Eva pushed the mop about the black linoleum floor. Her artists had loved that, the next day she came in to find that chair the seagull had occupied on its visit had been permanently reserved with commemorative sketches, fuck, Christian got a tattoo of that flying rat as a gag. What some people would do to commit to a joke, but who was she to judge? She had a tattooed "Despite my ghoulish reputation, I really have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk" on the inner part of her right arm. Christian had his idiot humor, whereas Eva had her dark humor.

Shoving the now cold mop into the bucket, Eva surveyed the interior of "Naughty Needles." Ready to go for tomorrow morning. She had a couple sessions scheduled, both of them regulars. Though Eva was no fan of tooting her own horn she was well known in the inked part of the Gotham community. Her favorite subjects of work were usually warped, dark, and even sickening. Last week a member of the Russian mob had come in wanting the lips of a woman coated in blood on his chest, complete with Eva's trade mark ability to induce shine on the ink to make it look like real blood. Gross out tattoos were a personal favorite, the more messed up the more creative and indulging her work could be.

Eva was just about to head to the back to grab her purse and a jacket when a sharp rap on the door sounded. She froze, hand straying to the register where a gun was kept. Fingers grazing the cool metal, she took a breath and called out to the stranger at the door from her position. "I'm sorry but we're closed for the night! Come back tomorrow!"

There was another rap on the door. Taking the pistol in hand, Eva walked quietly over to the window next to the door. Drawing back the black-out curtains she attempted to make out the figure. The lights on the docks had long gone out for the evening, casting the person in shadow. Confident in her decision to make the glass on the windows facing the docks bullet proof, Eva tapped the window and pointed the gun. "I said we're closed asshole!"

She could tell from the profile that it was a man, he turned slightly and looked her up and down. Eva had lived in Gotham all her life, in her time she had spent on earth she had tased 3 guys, maced 5. Adding a guy with a bullet in the leg to the list of assholes that tried something wasn't much of a stretch. This guy though, he didn't seem to be threatened by the gun. Eva's hands shook a little, but she kept the gun steady. The man drew closer to the window and that was when the light in the shop caught his face. Eva felt the breath steal from her as she looked into the eyes of a criminal that was all too familiar. Trying to regain her composure, Eva gritted her teeth and snarled. "I said we're closed. Leave or I'll call the cops!"

Ever so slowly, the red lips pulled back into a menacing grin, revealing a set of metal encrusted teeth. "Now, you must be Eva Anton?"

All Eva could do was blink in shock. When this guy knew your name, you were in trouble. Smirking, he pulled something from his coat pocket and pressed it to the window. It was one of Eva's businesses cards. Black in color, the lettering mixed purple and blue with an elegant variation of Impact font. On the bottom, there was quote that read "Beauty is skin deep. A tattoo goes all the way to the bone."

Eva stared at the car for a good minute and then felt the urge to gag when she noticed that the card had been horribly stained…. Was that blood? He chuckled. "You came highly recommended from a recent client. You've got serious talent, honestly I couldn't leave this bit of work."

Then he held up something else. Eva threw up a bit in her mouth. It was human skin, recently decked with the bloody lips of a woman. She couldn't tell where the inked blood ended and the real began. Swallowing down the bile, the tattoo artist looked up that the man. He seemed to be enjoying the fear in her eyes. "Now—"

He folded up the skin and tossed it to someone behind him. It was then that Eva noticed that he was not alone. "How about you unlock the door and we can begin my consultation, hmm?"

Eva licked her lips nervously. Of all the shit, of all the crazy fucks in Gotham, it had to be the Joker. A lazy smile revealed his glittering teeth. "Or, if you'd rather make it difficult…"

He slammed his hands against the glass and laughed. "Cause I'm good either way. I bet you have a lovely scream."

When he laughed, Eva felt a series of icicles being shoved into every vertebrae of her spine. Well, she didn't have much in the way of choice. Wasn't like she could whole up in the shop until he left, hell, he'd probably come back and trash the place. Eva had no qualms doing work on criminals, she'd inked the worst of them. This one though, Joker wasn't exactly stable. Say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, ink the wrong thing and that would get her a bullet in the head or worse. There was a knock on the window, jolting Eva out of her thoughts. "Let's make it easier. I've got a nice little selection of TNT in the car and I could knock out this whole building and drag you out…"

Eva stared at him, at the car behind him, and his goons. Letting him have his way would be best. Still holding onto her pistol, Eva pulled her keys out and unlocked the door and the Joke walked into "Naughty Needles" as if he owned the place.


	2. Bloody Nose, Bloody Yes

Own the place he did, Joker walked around the room for a couple minutes, surveying each station, eventually coming to Eva's space. He picked up one or two of her sketches for tomorrow's sessions. The sketches were benign mostly, one was just a wilting orchid for some depressed college student, and the other was the Batman logo the guy wanting it was one of those super fans who probably got kicked in the head one to many times when he went "patrolling the means streets of Gotham." Joker seemed to find that particular sketch the most enjoyable, he wasn't in hysterics but the trademark laugh was there and Eva felt hair at the back of her neck go on end. In keeping her eyes down, she noticed that her gun hadn't been taken away. This guy had no fear, he was of the utmost confidence that Eva wasn't going to risk trying anything. Still ignoring her, Joker snatched up her album of completed work. When he got to the more disturbing pieces, he nodded his approval. Holding up the album to display the photograph of a particular piece, he smiled. "Now this, this is something special."

Now that client was pretty damn memorable, said something about doing a stint in Arkham. He had this fucked up obsession with nose bleeds and he wanted the tattoo to embody that possibly sexual fixation (she didn't want to ask). Disturbing as it was, Eva liked the idea and sort of ran with it. She did a profile from the up part of the nose down, the hands were in the frame and blood was gushing from the profile's nose and the tattooed person looked to be reveling in the blood as it flowed from her nose and soaked her lips and tongue, dripping languidly into the hands. Joker nodded his approval as he went to the next page, tattooed torn up skin made to look flakey and diseased done in tasteful lace patterns, art students wanted the weirdest shit sometimes. Another nod, and Joker snapped the album shut, causing Eva to jump at the sudden sound.

Laughing, he walked up to her, giving her cheek an affectionate slap that could have knocked her down. Eva never really could pin down what death smelled like, yet somehow, Joker managed to wreaked of it. He gripped Eva's chin for a minute or two, surveying her. For a moment, her eyes danced around in terror. Another smile, and Joker extended his approval. "You'll do for what I want."

Letting her go, he walked over to the couch in the waiting area and took a seat. "Well, aren't ya gonna get your stuff so we can start?"

Eva blinked. Oh Christ, he couldn't be serious. "Start what exactly?"

Again, there was that laugh. Joker sat up and leaned forward and spoke as if trying to coax a shy 4 year old. "Well, Eva, what is it that you do?"

Silence, playing the game just meant acknowledging that she'd be forced to spend hours with this insane fuck for God knows how many sessions. "Common, Eva, sweetheart. I know you know the answer."

Sneering, she took a breath and replied. "Tattoo artist…"

He nodded. "And I wouldn't come to a tattoo artist to do a weapons deal…. Unless, that's a side business… Is it a side business because I'm always looking to…"

Joker chuckled and Eva continued to frown. "No, I'm just a tattoo artist."

Leaning back he shrugged his shoulders. "There's your answer, you're my new tattoo artist!"


	3. Sweet Talkin

For the better part of the night, Eva was made to consult Joker as if he were any other client. Although, she honestly couldn't call to mind in any given situation where she felt this on edge in the presence of one of her soon to be canvases. Through most of the discussion, she had the overwhelming urge to throw up, but she figured that would be a bad idea. Joker probably wouldn't take vomit all over his shoes in stride. Eva did her best to pretend he was someone else, she did her very best to ignore the two goons that had taken their positions at her back in case she tried anything. Keeping her head down and her eyes intently focused on her Surface, Eva went about sketching was Joker described "You know how I like to smile?"

Eva nodded, worrying that if she spoke there would be a risk of her squeaking, coughing, puking, or all three at once. Apparently the silent acknowledgment was not something Joker liked. "Do I make ya nervous sweetheart?"

Not looking up, she nodded. "Oh common, I'm not so scary…"

He was leaning towards her, and his hand snuck in for another "affectionate" slap. Eva gritted her teeth. Forcing her chin up, Joker made her look for the better part of a minute, or maybe it was worst? He looked thoughtful for a short while "You have pretty eyes. I'm tempted to scoop em out and keep em."

Eva's hazel eyes widen to the size of saucers as her fingernails dug holes into the arm rests of the chair. Joker continued to hold her in place, Christ, he was actually contemplating the idea of scooping her eyes out. Taking a shuddering breath, Eva smiled awkwardly "I'd like to keep them…"

Chuckling, Joker grinned, flashing the metal teeth. Forcing back a shudder, Eva finished "If you don't mind?"

He continued to stare at her, Eva needed to kill the overwhelming sense of terror that was welling up in her stomach. More than likely, she mistook the welling terror for her early dinner brewing horribly in the pit of stomach, terror being the trigger. Grabbing her Surface, Eva forced it into Joker's free hand. "This is what I have so far…"

Thankfully, it was enough of a distraction. On the screen, Eva managed to sketch a mass of "Ha's" and on the other half of the screen, was a large manic smile. Cartoon to some degree with a dash or realism to set the teeth off. Joker let her go, adding in a slight shove for emphasis. Eva fell back in her chair, watching his reaction. He took a deep breath "Aaaah, I like this, I like this a lot."

Then he went quiet "Bit curious though sweetheart, why'd ya go without that blood effect hmm? You're so good at."

It was out of her mouth before Eva cram it "I figured you'd be covered in blood, didn't wanna overdo it—"

Her voice cut off quickly, she could feel her heart beating against her ribs. Shit, he was gonna kill her, Eva was convinced he was gonna start beating on her. Slowly, very slowly a smile erupted on his face and he howled with laughter. The sound felt like a rusty nail digging a trench in Eva's spine. It went on for what felt like minutes. At this point the tattooist figured that him beating on her would be a far better outcome, at least it would have been predictable. Better to be benign to this maniac than amusing. Eva should have kept her trap shut, she should have shrugged and said nothing he probably would have left it at that. "You sweet talkin me?"

Eva stared, this time she managed to shut up and went with the mere shake of a head. Better than saying something along the lines of _fuck no!_ He smiled and handed back her Surface. "Good, I like it when my women don't talk, too much chit chat can get ya killed."

Fighting the urge to sneer in disgust, Eva ended up just sitting there. Completely dumbfounded but harmless and emotionless, all the better to not get killed. Joker went about straightening his jacket. Standing, he walked around where Eva sat. "Those are perfect, think of a few more."

Eva spun around. "What?"

He glanced at her. "What do ya mean what sweetheart? I want more."

"What else were you thinking?"

Not looking up from buttoning his jacket, he replied. "I think ya know what I like Eva. It'd be a shame if ya screwed up."

Looking at her, he winked and bared his metal encrusted teeth in a grin. "I'll be back same time same place next week."

His goons had gone out the door, but Joker paused "I'm sure you know the drill?"

Eva fixed her eyes on the table in front of her. "No Gotham PD, no Batman, no Justice League?"

Joker chuckled. "Reading my mind already, good girl."

That said, Joker shut the door and within a few minutes the headlights to his car and the roar of the engine were swallowed up in the distance and darkness. All Eva could do was sit there, staring at the space where the Joker had been sitting and at the mess of tattoo spit balling on her Surface. One continuous thought floated the void of her mind… "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuuuuuck."


	4. Third Circle Special

Eva didn't go home that night. The thought of driving after _that_ encounter was enough to freak her to the next level. Joker could be waiting for her, he could have his goons watching her, he could on a whim decide to follow her home and use her kitchen supplies to give Eva a home-made tattoo. The list of fuckery was endless and Eva couldn't see herself being able to drive without wrapping her car around a lamp post because a shadow looked too much like Joker or Batman.

Sleep evaded her, Eva stayed up most of the night trying to do more for "the Joker project." He wanted more, what did that even mean? Was she supposed to waste her valuable time spit balling tattoo designs only for him to reject them? Pausing, letting her pen rest on the screen, Eva thought for a second. Yes, that's exactly what she would do. Joker was priority now, even if he didn't pay. His distaste would be more than a huff and storming out the door. It would be a bullet in her head, a laugh, a huff, storming out the door, and in an insane twist, blowing up the whole damn dock out of spite.

Licking her lips, Eva got back to work, going over every second she spent talking to Joker. He liked blood effect, but he found her desire to limit the tattooed gore amusing. He seemed to enjoy the simplistic line work she was showing him. His overall look was disgustingly garish. Desperately detailed designs would derail the effect he had on people. Joker wasn't some mafia goon that needed ink to communicate himself a threat. He was a threat, the embodiment of danger with a reputation that screamed _not to be screwed with if you value your everything._ Shuddering, Eva found herself doodling something along the lines of a grinning skull with a jester cap. Next to be doodled were playing cards, A few seconds later she wrote the words "damaged." It didn't take long for her to erase that, subtly, the work needed subtly.

Eventually, Eva was forced to call in delivery at around 1am. Her terror had managed to burn through what she had eaten for dinner. Stress was taking over and when Eva stressed, she would grow ravenous. Snatching up her cell phone, she called a pizza place called "Slice of Hell" that operated till 2-2:30am. It was located a couple steps from Gotham Heights so it could get away with the name and its business hours without the place getting robbed. Eva had also done work on practically all of its employees including Virgil Kane, Slice of Hell's owner.

Eyeing her work, Eva a turn around the shop as she ordered. "Damn Eva!"

"Yeah hey Virgil."

She was surprised that he was working. Virgil ran the place, he shouldn't be doing graveyard stints "you should be sleeping!"

"So should you, what the fuck are you doing at the shop!?"

Virgil's voice quieted, though it didn't do anything to kill the excitement "I came in because Bruce Wayne stopped in with his date."

Eva smirked "Seriously Virgil you are whipped like the rest of Gotham, Wayne is just a guy and not even a good looking guy. His neck is huge."

Virgil huffed "Well, what would you do if he came into your place for a tattoo?"

Taking a seat, Eva laughed. "Let Deluca handle him, I'd get the major reimbursement by putting a spike in the station charge. All the money without having to deal with Mr. Richy Playboy."

There was a chuckle on the other end "You are ruthless Eva. I will warn you, Wayne's been eyeing Heather's sleeve throughout the meal, so she might be sending him way."

Eva groaned. Not another high maintenance client. Joker was enough. "You sure he's just eyeing her arm? Heather pretty damn hot."

A voice cut into the conversation. It had a bit of southern lilt to it "Thanks Eva, but he asked about the sleeve and I gave him your card."

Falling back into the couch, the tattooist knocked her head on the window. "Gee, thanks Heather."

"Welcome doll!"

Virgil came back on "Now I know you didn't call for the conversation. What're you looking for tonight?"

It was at that moment that Eva's stomach growled. "You still got the Third Circle special?"

"The medium mushroom, three cheese, jalapeños, buffalo chicken, celery, with pickled carrots and blue cheese crumbles?"

Eva nodded. "And a large soda."

"Yeah we still have it. All going to the shop."

"Alright, thanks Virge. Don't chap your lips kissing Wayne's ass."

She hung up before Virgil could retort.

It was about 6am when Eva called it quits and ate her last slice of the Third Circle special. The sun was finally rising, which meant that Gotham's nightly terrors would bed down for the day. She felt safer going home. Before locking up, Eva left an excuse note for Christian, Kia, and Deluca. On her way out to her car, she texted her two appointments and rescheduled them just as she pulled off the docks and onto the main rode.

15 minutes later, Eva pulled into the parking garage of her apartment. Rubbing her eyes, she dragged herself up the stairs. Pigeons (or flying rats if you preferred) had taken up their cooing in order to greet the morning. One of the rats had perched itself on the railing. Without a second thought, Eva smacked it. Causing the flying rodent to take wing as it cooed in pure disdain. Smirking, the tattooist fumbled for her keys and made weary attempts to unlock the door. Shit, wouldn't it be the cherry on top of everything if that pigeon belonged to Penguin. She was certain he couldn't speak bird. Still, seeing how Eva's luck took a turn down shit creek and towards the ocean of fuck all; he probably spoke pigeon fluently and Eva would be in for a rude awakening.

Hearing the click of the lock, she tried to open the door, it wouldn't budge. Groaning, Eva gave it a forceful kick "Piece of shit…"

Rent was cheap, but upkeep was nonexistent. Eva had complained about her door 2 months ago, and the landlord had yet to get off his lazy ass and take a look at it. Slamming the door, Eva went through the tiring process of shedding her jacket, purse, and keys onto the entrance table. Her shoes came next, though not as gracefully. One boot was being particularly stubborn, within seconds Eva was on the floor. Within minutes she was out cold and her raucous snores assaulted the apartment.


	5. Marni

It was the vibrating of her cellphone that finally roused Eva at 2pm. She was still laying on the floor of her apartment and had pulled herself into a ball. It wasn't the most graceful of set up, rubbing her face, Eva found that carpet had left a red imprint on her cheek.

Groaning, she reached for her phone and answered with an inaudible "Yeah?"

Her response was rather shrill "Evie!"

Eva pulled the phone away for a second she waited for the noise level to decrease. When it did, she place it against her ear. "Hey Marni…"

There was a pause "Oh, you forgot?"

Rubbing the sleep out of her eye, Eva pushed herself into a sitting position. "No, I didn't forget….. What did I forget exactly?"  
On the other end there was a dejected sigh. " I don't know why I even bother inviting you places these days, you always forget."

Getting up, Eva dropped her purse on the counter. Falling into the frayed interior of her couch, she joked. "Not like I wanna go out, you know me. I'd be happy going to the McLerry's and pass the time without sharing a room with people who went one on one with a bat."

She could hear Marni pacing over the phone. "The Iceberg Lounge is one of _the_ places to be in Gotham!"

"So the fact that the place is ran by the Penguin doesn't bother you in the slightest?"

A chuckle was her response "Oh common Evie!"

Snorting, Eva reclined in her seat "Oh, excuse me for having morals. I draw the line at giving business to Rogues."

"Yeah right, you just don't want to go out."

Eyes shooting open Eva snapped "I have a good reason for not wanting to go out! I was up all night brain storming for a client."

Marni seemed to pick up on the panic "Are they mob or something."

Blanking for a second, Eva fell back on her best evasion tactic. "You know I can't tell you."

That didn't do with her friend "So, they are mob."

Shrugging, Eva got up and went to kitchen. She could allude to the client being mob, technically Joker was a criminal. Though his rap sheet was leagues above the mob. "So you say, cause I won't."

Marni relinquished another sigh, but it wasn't one of defeat. "Whatever, you're still coming out tonight. Be ready by 8, I'll pick you up!"

Groaning, Eva muttered "Why can't you just let me wallow in solitude?"

What she got was a huff "Because you're due for a good lay, that's why!"

"Whoa! Since when have you been in charge of my sex life!?"

Eva went about making herself a pot of coffee, 'shit.' She shook the bag of coffee beans, after this pot she'd need to go to the store. Sighing, she tossed them into grinder. "Ever since I realized that without the proper amount of sex, you start getting cobwebs."

It was moments like this that made Eva question her friendship with people like Marni. "Bite me!"

"Let's leave that to the men at the club, shall we."

Suppose it had something to do with the fact that the pair had relied on one another while in Foster care. The system wasn't exactly harmless in a city like Gotham, the only way to stay safe was to group up or pair off. "Common Eva, please? I've been wanting to check this place out for months. When you forced me to go to Gotham's Piercing Expo, you said I could choose the next place we go for drinks."

Now that was true. Marni hated body modification conventions. Almost ironic that a tattooist was friends with a woman that hated any and all needles. Still, Eva was short on friends and Marni always went with her for work related activities. With a sigh, Eva finally bent to her friend's will "Just, promise me that you won't run off with Riddler or something."

The reply was both joyous and guilty "Why would I run off with Riddler?"

With a snort, Eva poured herself a cup of freshly brewed coffee. After taking a sip she let Marni stew in the knowledge of her messed up crush. She smacked her lips to savor the strong taste of her life line to the world of the wakeful "Cause I know you've a thing for redheads and I've seen your web browser history."

Marni was quick to defend herself "Those are for work!"

"Uh huh, and my interest in nude chest shots of Norman Reedus and Victorian Era poisons are strictly work related."

There was a pause "Anyone ever tell you that you're a sneaky bitch?"

"You're the only one I hang out with on a regular basis, so only you…"

Marni chuckled "Touché, so 8 o'clock?"

Eva doused a yawn with another sip of coffee "Yeah."

"Oh common Evie, at least smile."

At the word 'smile,' a shiver ran up her spine. Hell, she didn't even hear Marni's voice when she said it. All she heard was Joker and it and that was when she felt the coffee burn her throat while trying to muscle it down without choking. After long pause, Eva found a retort and it came out monotone "I am smiling."

"You ok?"

Eva shook herself and started coughing "Yeah, coffee just went down the wrong tube."

"Ok, well, see you tonight."


	6. Work Boots

Due to the extreme amount of pizza she managed to inhale last night, Eva managed to psyche herself into going on a run in the small park a mile or two away. Despite the fact that her apartment was located in the shit part of Gotham, she wasn't far off from the decent side. The side populated by nice restaurants and politicians when they weren't picking up prostitutes and snorting coke.

Throwing on a pair of bicycle shorts and a baggy t-shirt that she had knotted at the bottom, Eva took the short drive to the park. Stepping out of the car she subtly took a whiff of herself, she smelled like ink, pizza grease, alcohol, and fear. With a sign she summated that it was nothing a bit of sweat couldn't cure. Pulling her short bangs back with a bandana, Eva took off from her car at a jog and disappeared past the entrance gates.

The place wasn't empty, kids were just getting out of school. The teenagers of Gotham had two major hangouts . One was the bus station and the second was a few choice parks that their parents did not frequent. This left the kids free to bum cigarettes off perfect strangers and smoke their worldly stresses away while they talked about the bitch teachers that assigned too much homework over the weekend. There was the occasional single parent with their infant child, they had a tendency to populate the areas within reach of the play structures. Eva darted past them.

It wasn't long until Eva came to a small stream that ran through the park. It was a bit murky, last year some poor kid found a sandwich bag full of human fingers. Eva had been forced to run in Gotham Central park for several weeks because the cops had roped off the place. The inconvenience bore nothing, the owner of the fingers was never, and one child was left scarred for life.

Crashing onto a bench overlooking said creek, Eva opened the bottle of water she had been toting. After a long drink, she groaned at the thought of going to the Iceberg Lounge. Eva really didn't want to go, but Marni had her heart set on that place. Why this had to happen right after being forced to into undertaking Joker as a client, she didn't know. Fate was a strong word, bad luck seemed like a weak one.

Taking another swig of water, she stood. Another 20 minutes of running and she'd head back to the car, go home, shower off the smell of stale pizza and sweat. It was 4:30 in the evening, so by the time she finished showering it would late enough that she'd have to get ready. Closing up her water, Eva set off along the creek at a run. Her side ached a little and her thighs felt like they were on fire. She hated running, but there wasn't much else one could do for exercise in Gotham unless you started wearing black armor or brightly colored clothing…. Perhaps she'd take up free running once the weather got nicer, regular running was a such a bore.

Eva was stepping out of the shower when Marni came barging into her apartment. "Late as usual!"

Opening the bathroom door Eva was met with a mass of spiked blonde hair "Told ya that I didn't want to go."

Puffing out her cheeks, Marni shoved Eva into her bedroom "Just hurry up and get dressed!"

The bedroom door slammed in Eva's face as she turned, ready to return fire. "Jesus fucking Christ Marni, we aren't missing the rapture or anything important."

Her best friend smacked the door and walked to the living room and threw herself on the couch "Don't make me come in there and dress and make you up myself."

Eva shuddered at the threat, last time that happened she'd left the apartment in some yellow monstrosity, lips decked with rusty orange and her eyes winged with glittery gold eyeliner and copper eyeshadow. She had looked like an arson's wet dream that day, never again. Suppose that's what you get for buddying up with a stylist that preferred bright colors.

Slipping on one of her many black lingerie sets, Eva eyed her closet and settled on a short sleeveless black dress with a spider webbed cut out design on the back. It would be cold tonight and considering that the Iceberg Lounge was indeed artic themed, a pair of black tights seemed appropriate. Sadly, they were worn with several noticeable tears. Laziness inspired Eva's choice in shoes as she settled on her work boots, simple black combats. In order to offset the "black like my soul theme" and partially to avoid Marni heckling her for outfit choice, Eva darned a dark shade of purple lipstick along with matching eyeshadow. Going with the purple theme, she dipped her fingers into some purple hair goop and ran it through her bangs. Nodding her approval in the mirror, she snatched up her jacket and left the bedroom.

Marni could be found in the kitchen, enjoying a small glass of white wine from Eva's stash "So what, am I gonna be the designated driver tonight?"

Handing her a glass, Marni smirked "Oh no, you're drinking tonight. Are those your work boots!?"

Eva grabbed the glass and dodged around the kitchen counter "No, they're just my boots."

"Seriously, we're going someplace classy and you can't be bothered to wear actual heels?"

Eva sipped her wine "My idea of classy is a night at the Gotham opera house seeing Loreena McKennit, not getting shit faced at some "reformed Rogue's" club."

She took another sip "Not to mention the fact that I'd like to prepare myself for the possibility of running in the other direction should we catch the unfortunate attentions of Penguin…. Or in the event of a police raid, whichever comes first."

Marni glared at her "You're such a negative bitch Eva."

"Ah but I'm your bitch…. I also prefer the term realistic."


	7. Flunitrazepam

After a full 10 minutes of Marni ragging on Eva about her shoes, the work boots stayed where they were. While muttering about her friend's lack of fashion sense, Marni called up a taxi to pick them up. 10 minutes later, the pair were heading out the apartment. After giving the location to the driver, Eva and Marni fell into conversation once they shut the window to muffle their words from the driver. "So, tell me about your mafia client, Italian, Russian...Irish?"

Eva rolled her eyes "You know my terms when it comes to underbelly clients."

Pouting, Marni crossed her arms "Why've you gotta be so serious?"

"Oh common, I'm not gonna put your dumb ass in danger just so you can have some gossip."

Her friend continued to pout "Besides, it's not that exciting."

Suddenly, a smirk perked Marni's features. Eva eyed her "What're you so happy about all of a sudden?"

Glancing at her, Marni's smirked turned into a smug smile "Well, because you're so desperate to keep this client under wraps. I bet two weeks of tips that this client is on TV a lot."

The stylist leaned towards Eva "I'll know your work when I see it."

Eva blanked as she felt panic welling up in the pit of her stomach. Swallowing back the waver in her voice, the tattooist countered "Naw, this one is good at what they do, they don't get caught, they've never been seen."

That was such a crock of shit, but Eva's brain was fried. Marni puzzled over her friends statement. Thank God for the two glasses of wine Marni had back at the apartment, it didn't make her drunk but it would slow her down and after a night of drinking she'd forget Eva's statement altogether. God bless alcohol.

After what felt like a very short drive to Eva and a very long one to Marni, the pair found themselves being let out at the entrance to the Ice Berg Lounge. There was a line forming at the door, it was 15 minutes before the place opened. Marni jumped in line while Eva followed her from a distance, eyeing the line for any possible threats. Rogues had made this place a hang out, it was like going into a doughnut shop, you expected to see at least one cop there stuffing their face.

With a sigh, Eva swung around and took her place next to Marni. Within minutes and after being scrutinized for attractiveness by the bouncer, they were both let it. Marni, faster than Eva. According to the bouncer, she looked like a major buzz kill. As they walked in, Eva flipped the man off "Asshole, I shouldn't have to smile if I don't want to."

The blaring of the music assaulted the pair as they went through the second door and into the Lounge. "Well, it wouldn't kill you to smile more often. You always look like you're going to a funeral, the black doesn't help."

Eva gave her friend a shove "Fuck off and find a bar, I wanna get good and drunk in case the place blows up."

Marni shoved her as they walked "Will you lighten up! You didn't see me complaining when I went to that tattoo expo with you!"

With a sigh, Eva delved out the best of her heart felt apologies. She was being a bitch, honestly what were the odds that Joker would be here tonight of all night, didn't seem like his kind of place anyway. "Alright, alright, I'll ease up on the bitching."

This seemed to please Marni. "Oh, that's sweet of you.'

They made it to the bar. "Don't push it, make the first round on you and I might even smile tonight."

The stylist nodded and pushed her card over to the bartender. "We'll have a Jack Rose and a Black Russian."

Drinks in hand, Eva took a sip and smiled. "The Dude abides."

"Wrong drink."

She took another sip, pushing some air out of her teeth in response to the strength of the drink "Bite me Marni, I'm here against my will."

In one gulp, the Jack Rose was gone "Jesus woman, you should drink the obvious stronger shit. Keep drinking fruity tooties and you'll be drunk in the hour."

"Maybe you should drink 'fruity tooties,' you said you wanted to get good and smashed."

Eva put her drink down on the bar "I like knowing what I'm drinking."

Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, Eva threw out her hand to cover her drink. Feeling powder on her skin, she swung about and drove her fist into the face of a 30 something grease ball. He hit the ground, blood gushing from his nose "You fucking bitch!"

Shaking her severally bruised hand, Eva spat on the ground in front of him and landed a good solid kick in his gut as he tried to make a grab for her "Touch me again and I cut out your tongue and feed it to you."

Picking up her drink, Eva threw it into his bleeding face. Turning to the bar, Eva ordered herself another. After a long sip, the pair walked away. The tattooist felt a welling sense of satisfaction, in a real classy place she'd find herself escorted out for causing trouble. Here, she could delve out punishment as she saw fit. No one was gonna do that shit to her again.

Taking a seat, Marni eyed her carefully "You alright?"

"M'fine, kicked his ass didn't I?'

Marni chuckled and surveyed the large iceberg that rested in the fountain at the center of the lounge "Just checking."

She was about to polish off her Jack Rose when she froze 'What is it?"

The stylist nodded her head in the direction of the iceberg "Rogues…"


	8. Life and Death

Eva choked on her Black Russian as she turned to look in the direction Marni had nodded. The drink churned unpleasantly in her stomach. "We're leaving."

Marni spun around "What, no!"

Eva grabbed her friend's wrist "Marni, please don't be stupid. If Rogues are here, it means trouble, it could result in Batman or a fucking police raid. I don't wanna get shot."

Making a face, Marni sipped he drink "Eva, we live in Gotham."

She balked "What is that supposed to mean?"

Her friend said nothing "Look, you may be ok with getting your ass shot, me I'd like to keep my body free of bullet holes…"

Eva stood up "I love you but I'm not sticking around for one of your thrills."

"Oh common, They're going into the private rooms."

She wasn't wrong, Eva watched them go. It didn't seem like Joker was among them either. Slowly, she sat back down. "Alright, but if things start going bad, we're leaving."

As if to recite a pledge, Marni help up her right hand in oath "We'll swim like rats abandoning a sinking ship."

Snatching Marni's drink, Eva downed it "Oh, shut up."

Smirking, Marni gestured for another drink to be brought over. The pair started into a small selection of shots, it wasn't long until both of them were significantly buzzed. "So—"

Marni downed her third 6-shooter shot "Ya gonna tell me who it is that's scaring you shitless."  
Still sober enough to evade the question, Eva eyed the dance floor "Hmm, is that Riddler over there?"

For a moment, her friend was distracted "Where?"

Chuckling, Eva knocked back a shot composed of Everclear and peppered vodka. Her nose tingled and the back of her throat burned a little. "Hmm, guess it's just you're every day red head bastard in a green vest."

Licking her lips, she gave her teeth a swipe with her tongue (a sure sign that she was on her way to shit faced). Marni glared at her "My bad hun."

Leaning forward, her friend pressed on "Didn't answer my question, who's the client? You were only this jumpy when one of Scarecrow's goons came in wanting your work?"

The stylist sat back, her booze glazed eyes widening in comprehension. Suddenly, as if he were a miracle straight from the heavens, a guy came up to the table and started macking on Marni. This caused enough of a distraction for her to forget her epiphany. It wasn't long until her was lured away to the dance floor of the club. Eva stayed back an nursed another cocktail and kept an eye on her Marni's purse, and Marni herself.

Sitting back, Eva took a swig of her cocktail and pulled her tablet out of her purse. Marni said no work, but she was occupied and Eva had no desire to interact with anyone here. Joker's tattoo file was still open, so she began putting the finishing touches on the teeth. She figured red would be alright for the lips, a little gray yellow for the teeth could give off some menace. Frowning, she started into sketching out another mouth, this one smiling and open. Eva was having a difficult time figuring out which one looked better. "Should leave it to him"

Eva let loose a yawn and continued to scribble away, she was exhausted and the alcohol wasn't helping. Glancing at the bar, she briefly wondered if they served coffee, but thought better of it. If she wanted sleep tonight, she'd have to do without the caffeine. Christ, Eva just wanted to go home. With a sigh she started to sketch up a skull wearing a jester's hat. It was like she had been bit by a huge fucking art block bug. Nothing looked right. Fuck, this shit was life and death. At this point she was gripping her pen enough to shock her knuckles white. Setting the tablet on the table, Eva knocked back the rest of her cocktail. God, before the night was over she'd need something stronger.


	9. Conrad Veidt's Teeth

That's it, she was going to die next week and she didn't even care. After signaling for another drink to be brought over, Eva reached for her tablet to shut it off when she felt a pair of hands grasp and her shoulders. "Well, well, well…"

Her blood ran cold and the delightful buzz was lost and replaced with terror "Shit…"

It was the only thing she could manage to say. He squeezed her shoulders again and toyed his fingers across the inked vines on her back, then walked around to stand in front of her. Eva's eyes jumped to where Marni was, thankfully, she seemed occupied. Joker glanced over his shoulder "Ashamed of your client….. sweetheart?"

He eyed Marni for a moment and muttered to himself, "Mmm, I always liked blondes."

Grabbing Marni's chair, he sat down "I didn't… expect to see you here."

It was then that her drink was brought over. The waiter looked just as terrified as Eva felt. She didn't touch it nor could she bring herself too, at this point Eva was sick to her stomach and the mass of drinks that she had tonight were doing nothing to calm her "Good to see you too, Mister Joker."

Leaning back, he flashed her his metal teeth. "Sooo formal."

Eva, said nothing and let her fingers stroke the glass as its cold sweat seeped into her skin and his eyes drilled into hers. Though every fiber of her being was screaming for her to look away, Eva couldn't bring herself to do it, she was too scared, she was too stupid to play docile. The moment felt like an eternity to Eva, but it lasted a few seconds before Joker took up his chatter "My, my, my… I think I like you in this outfit more than what you had on when we first met…"

He gestured grandly to her outfit. She had been wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt last they spoke. Eva had worn this dress several times, it never made her uncomfortable, until now with the way Joker eyed her. It made her feel like she was wearing something with a cut that dipped all the way to her navel. Smirking, Joker leaned forward and grabbed her hand and pulled her across the table. If Eva could grit her teeth any harder, they'd shatter. Running his fingers along her arms, he traced out her collection of tattoos. His fingers paused on a line that Eva had pulled from Victor Hugo's _The Laughing Man,_ "The paradise of the rich is made out of the hell of the poor."

The quote had been layered onto an inked set of Conrad Veidt's teeth, which had been photographed for the production of _The Man Who Laughs_. The original silent film had been good and the book was a favorite of hers. Though Eva had dropped out of college within a year. The reason she even attempted to take on such an expensive educational feat, had been due to her love of reading. Eva had a certain fondness for Victor Hugo and his works. She had gathered up a collection of him on her body, she felt a sense of communion with the long dead writer and the way he portrayed the unending miseries of the human existence.

This was probably why she found enjoyment in reading the works of the Bronte sisters, things never truly ended happily, in the end someone had to suffer in order to earn their passable joys if it was ever bestowed on them. Hell, she kept a random quote from Jane Eyre on her person, which read "I must keep in good health, and not die."

His finger nails dug into her skin, he seemed to find amusement in causing her pain as the nails etched into the outlines of Veidt's teeth. Eva wasn't flinching, her resolve and skin held firm for a moment before any blood could seep from under Joker's dirt grimed fingernails "I think this is my favorite, I always like smiles."


	10. Downpayment

It felt like someone had injected cocaine right into her heart, it was slamming into the breastbone. No amount of calm breathing could bring it to rest. The blood crawled down her arm, trekking to the table. Smirking, the Clown let her loose, but not after squeezing both her arms enough to leave a set of matching bruises. Taking back her limbs, Eva kept her eyes trained on her client while she rubbed the feeling back into her arms "So, what brings you here, sweetness?"

Keeping her eyes down and off of Marni, she muttered "Night on the town."

He nodded, "Mmm, a girls night out."

Taking in the club he chuckled, the hint of manic laughter enough to force the hairs on the back Eva's neck to upstart. Being in this guy's company was unnerving, especially here. Rogues weren't given a second glance, this was their safe haven and though Penguin claimed to be reformed, everyone in Gotham knew that he was still doing illegal shit "You are just full of surprises Evie."

At this, he snatched up her abandoned drink and took a swig. Smacking his lips, he nodded to her hand, noting the few scratches and the light bruising curtesy of the scum bag at the bar "Now that, that was just… hehe, a doozy!"

Holding up a finger, he set down the glass and gestured for one of his goons to come over. The goon pulled out a paper sack and handed it to Joker, who in turn, tossed it to Eva "Consider this the down payment for your work."

It was wet at the bottom, lukewarm. Though she couldn't distinguish the color in this light. Cautiously, Eva opened the bag and gagged back the urge to vomit. Inside was a tongue, a human tongue. Still holding the bag, Eva stared at Joker's smiling face "Never like to leave threats empty, and your creativity is so inspiring, I—Oh, I just couldn't resist!"

Giggling, he got up and gestured for her to follow. Eva didn't move, she had a horrible feeling about what was to come. She remembered that threat, and it didn't involve killing that scum outright. Joker, not being one to wait, grabbed her and practically forced her out of her seat "Common, we're gonna have some fun tonight, just us."

He pulled her to him as they walked, as if they were long-time friends in a comedy film. Eva was still holding the bag, her knuckles stark white and the blood gone from her face. Joker had face planted her into the lapel of his jacket, he smelled rank. Like gasoline, sweat, and the rusted tang of blood. It took every bit of Eva's will power, to not collapse where she stood. They were walking down an empty hallway now, taking a left resulted in going through a door that led into an alley. Eva heard the guy before she saw him, his pathetic whimpers echoed in the hollows of her ears. The back of her throat burned with the promise of sick, and goosebumps rose to attention on her arms, triggered by a combination of cold and horror.

Eva was surprised that she had been able to recognize him. His entire front, from the lower half of the jaw and down, was soaked in blood. He was rocking back and forth. It looked like the blood had time to dry a little, it was then that she noticed the embers dying out in his mouth and the smell of burnt flesh. "Couldn't have him dying on us…"

Christ, they had cauterized the left over part of his tongue! Eva started to back away, only to have Joker take her waist and pull her close "Ah-ta-ta."

She began to shake her head "No, no, no, no."

His grip tightened and dug into her skin "Now, I went through all this trouble for your gift—"

He turned and snarled at her "It would be rude not to take it."

Eva attempted to pull away "No, no, you said this was a down payment!"

She managed to break free and dropped the bag "Consider my work a gift! You don't need to pay me."

"Oh…" He wagged a finger at her "I insist."

Joker picked up the bag and grabbed Eva and pushed her towards the man on the ground. He came to stand next to her, leaning in, he hissed in her ear "This revolting pile wasn't gonna show you any mercy, so why should you?"

He pressed the bag into her hands "Besides, I already did the hard part. This is easy, like riding a bike."

The man was sobbing and shaking his head. "Pssh, peessh, ooh!

Eva shook her head, tears streaming from her eyes "I can't, I can't…."

Snarling, Joker stood. It was then Eva felt something cold press against the back of her head. "This gift isn't refundable sweetheart. When people don't accept my generosity, I get upset."


	11. Swallow!

At the touch of the gun, Eva froze. Her sobs stifled and choked as she tried to fight back the urge scream. Taking a few deep breaths, Eva looked over her shoulder "Why are you doing this?"

Joker pulled a thoughtful face, and began to scratch his head with the gun "I always figured myself a guide to the unenlightened—"

Suddenly, he aimed the gun at her head and pulled the trigger. Eva reeled back, as the bullet flew right past her head and shattered the pavement a fraction of an inch from where she knelt. The silence raged in her ears, it took a moment for her to realize that she was screaming. A fresh wave tears hit. Eva's hands were shaking so badly, she could hardly keep a grip on the paper bag. On trembling legs, she stood and made her way to the man. He was bleeding again and gurgling through the wash of rusted red, he wasn't screaming anymore. At this point, too much blood had been lost, and his begging had been reduced to muddled whimpers "Peesh, pesh, Ah tarry, noo, noo, peesh—"

Only 2 hours ago, this scum had tried to drug and rape her, he deserved this, he definitely deserved this. Eva felt a tap on her shoulder "You might need this, sweetie."

Joker offered her a knife. Shutting her eyes, she took the blade. This was happening, if she wanted to live, this was gonna happen. Reaching into the bag, she grabbed the tongue. It had gone cold and it slipped through her fingers like a dead fish. Eva had done tattoo jobs on tongues before, but where that had been live screaming flesh, this was dead. One more deep breath, and a moment to compose herself. Within seconds, she struck. Putting the knife up to the guy's neck as she pressed his tongue to his closed mouth. He screamed through rusted teeth when Eva grabbed his head and forced it back to get his mouth open. "Shut up! Just shut the fuck up!"

It was liked he had cemented his teeth shut. Hearing an impatient sigh from behind her, Eva let lose an inhuman shriek and drove the knife into the man's leg. That got him to open his mouth in order to express the agony. Forcing him down and driving her knee in his neck, she crammed his tongue back into his mouth. He began to choke "Swallow! Swallow it you fucking asshole!"

He started to convulse and vomit. Sneering in disgust, Eva leaned down next to his ear. "Eat the damn thing and you live."

She knew damn well that he wasn't going to be able to swallow. One required the entire tongue in order to swallow. "Chew it!"

He was having a panic attack at this point. With that, Eva forced his mouth open and shoved her hand in. Forcing the tongue down his throat, if he just swallowed his tongue tonight could end. "Swallow!"

He wouldn't stop screaming! Why wouldn't he stop screaming!? It was then that she noticed laughing in the background, Joker was in hysterics. He hadn't been this amused in a while. Then, the tongue was gone, the fucker had managed to swallow it and was choking. Falling back, Eva crawled backwards and emptied the contents of her stomach against the building opposite the Iceberg. Her knees buckled and she collapsed into a mess of tears and dry heaving. "Oh God, oh Jesus fucking Christ…"

A hand came to rest on the small of her back. Eva tried to shrug him off, but Joker wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her. "Yes, the first time is always the hardest."

The man shuddered and gurgled past his tongue. Smirking, Joker turned and pulled his gun, the air around them exploded and the man went quiet "Would have been cruel to leave him alive."

He gently turned her around "Oh, oh, no more tears. You did great."

Pulling her close, he chuckled. "Shit, you're a natural. He wouldn't open his mouth, and you went on instinct and… You just stabbed him!'

She was going to hell, Eva was certain that she was gonna burn. She had never been the religious type "Gotta say, it was a thing of beauty.'


	12. Intimacy

Eva was going to rot in hell. Batman was going to find out about this and drag her to Blackgate after breaking both her arms and collapsing several of her internal organs. At this point, she had managed to stop rocking back and forth, and had brought her shock symptoms down to a mild case of upset stomach and an ashen face "There we go, takes a moment to come down from that high."

Breathing through her teeth, Eva looked at the Joker out of the corner of her eye. "What high?"

He rubbed her back and gave it one his affectionate slaps "Oh you know, the killer's high."

She grit her teeth and stared at her hands. They were putrid and stained with a combination of blood, saliva, and vomit. Her knees were dripping with something foul smelling, yellow and lukewarm, the poor fucker must have pissed himself. At this point, she couldn't bring herself to be even more disgusted. "I didn't kill him."

Her denial triggered a laugh "Oh, but didn't you? The only thing missing from the bodily fluid macabre on your hands, is jizz. You—"

He touched her nose with his finger, as if she were an infant, smiling toothlessly up at him "Have experienced the only true intimate moment shared from one human to another."

Eva looked at her hands, discovering that she was clutching her knees to the point where her fingernails were slowly embedding themselves into her skin. How could this be happening to her? She hadn't done shit to deserve the special attentions of a lunatic, especially the Joker! "I didn't experience shit, cause I didn't kill the fucker."

Before she knew what she was doing, Eva got up and started making her way towards the mouth of the alley "Now, where do you think you're going?"

Turning, she spat out the chunky remnants of puke "None of your fucking business you crazy son of a—"

Pain erupted across her face and in seconds she was on the ground. Joker fell upon her, driving his foot into the delicate slope of her neck. It wasn't enough to cave in her jugular, but just enough to cut off airflow. On instinct, she grabbed his ankle and proceeded to twist around like snake that just had its head lobbed off. Snatching up what he could of her hair, Joker all but lifted her off the ground. He wasn't laughing anymore "Now… You and I. Both know you don't wanna finish that sentence, sweetheart."

The pain played out with every beat of her heart and blood blossomed from her upper lip "Now, how about we kiss and make up?"

He stroked her cheek as Eva tried to struggle from his grip. It was then he pressed his lips against hers, he had caught her mid shriek. The writhing and screaming did not seem to deter him, if anything he liked it. Out of desperation, she bit down on his lower lip, that made things worse, he actually growled and smiled.

He let her go and Eva had to fight the urge to spit out the taste of him. Straightening the lapels of his jacket, he leered at her "You know the drill…"

"No Batman, no GPD, no Justice League."

He smiled and planted a repulsively wet kiss on her cheek "That's my girl. See you next week."

Slowly, Eva managed to stand. Her knees shook for a second as she attempt to keep her feet under her. It was then that she noticed the body had been taken from the alley. One of the goons must have taken it when…When. Eva pressed a hand over mouth before she could scream.


	13. Bruised

Her legs gave a little as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. She started spitting out the taste of him, the tang of his blood wouldn't leave. Before she knew what she was doing, Eva walked back into the Iceberg Lounge and hobbled into the bathroom. Thankfully, it was empty. She couldn't bring herself to look in the mirrors. Eva ran the water in one of the sinks and squeezed some soap into her hands. She had to get the taste of him out, without a second thought she forced the soap into her mouth and proceeded to lather her tongue. Her stomach muscles ached as she fought back the gag reflex. It tasted florally foul, but it was a better alternative to the rusted aftertaste of Joker's saliva and blood. The gag reflex brought on the tears, and it was then Eva looked at her reflection.

Stifling a cry of shock and disgust, Eva found that she couldn't look away from the woman in the mirror. Her cheeks had been dyed a strange metallic lilac from her eye make-up and all her lipstick had been smeared away. Bruises were slowly coming to attention on her cheeks from where he hit her. It was a dingy mix of purple and blue. Her neck told a similar story, though the bruises were far more extensive and they hurt beyond anything and would probably last longer. Eva's hands were probably the worst, they stung like hell as she tried to wash away the blood, saliva and vomit. The guy must have bit her, and she hadn't even noticed.

Her hair fell, string like down her cheeks. Hell, Joker had probably pulled out a good chunk when he beat on her. Everything hurt, her knees had been chewed up by the concrete. Her ab muscles were sore and just barley handle her bending over when she started scrubbing the blood and dirt from her knees. It was then, Eva realized that she had been crying this whole time. She was sure there hadn't been a moment where she wasn't. Suddenly, Eva start laughing "This is insane, this is fucking nuts."

Falling back, she landed on the floor of the bathroom and huddled against the wall. "What the fuck did I do?"

Wrapping her arms around her knees where they crossed, Eva buried her head in the skirt of her dress "I could have stopped it, could've done something."

Resting her forehead in her hands, she sobbed "I fucking tortured another human being… Fuck, fucking, fuck."

She brought the heal of her palms down on her head and furiously started beating "Fuck, fuck, fuck, stupid fucking, fucker!"

Letting her head lay against the wall, she sighed at the cold seeped it "Would have died anyway, would have suffocated….."

Eva's hysterical giggles flooded the bathroom for a good minute "He was right."

She jumped when the sound of a gun seemed to resound off the bathroom walls. It kept going, and going, and going until Eva realized there were no guns now. Only then was the sound overtaken by the screams for mercy. Eva began to rock back and forth, clutching her ears as the sounds tour through her again and again. Like a nightmare soundtrack on repeat The sick fucker in charge of the volume, just kept cranking the shit up until she thought her ears were going to bleed. Everything seemed to shut down when laughter shattered everything, peeling off the walls. Took her a moment to realize, she was the one laughing, crying and then giggling.

Still chuckling, Eva pulled out her cellphone with shaking hands and hailed a taxi with an app. It would be here in 10 minutes. She'd go out the backdoor, tell Marni via text that she drank too much and started into a puking session. Couldn't face her looking like this.


	14. Raw

For a moment, Eva was taken by surprise that the gunshots were continuing. It took a few seconds to realize that it wasn't guns going off. Someone was pounding on the door of the bathroom, in her haze she must have forgotten that she had locked it. Slowly, she got up and made for the door.

The bolts turned, and Eva allowed the door to swing open. What met her, was some lady. She wore a short, strapless red dress. Her hair had been curled and was held in place with a ridiculous amount of hairspray, probably enough to put a hole in the ozone layer. For a split second she wore a severally annoyed expression "It's about damn time—Oh…"

Horror washed over the stranger as she took in Eva's appearance. Smirking, the tattooist spat a combination of soap and blood onto the woman's shoes, it left behind a bubbled glob of pink. Giggling faintly, Eva pushed past her and muttered "All yours lady."

She looked over her shoulder and flashed a grimace "The peppered vodka shots are a doozy."

Eva didn't look back as she took the familiar back door into the alley. She passed the spot where the man had been, there was a dark stain on the cement. Despite there being the lack of a body, pools of gore and puke gave away that something terrible had happened. Taking a deep breath, Eva hobbled toward the mouth of the alley. The cab was there, waiting. Walking to the front passenger door, Eva spoke into the crack of the window "Evalina Anton?"

The cabby nodded and unlocked the doors. As she got in, he eyed her up and down, with an expression that went from impassive to shocked and finally disgusted "Harlow road, thanks."

Eva got in and shut the door. The cab driver continued to watch her from his rear view window "Wild party huh swee…."

She caught his eyes in the mirror, and the words lodged in his throat. He'd seen that look several times when he picked up riders in the Narrows, she held his gaze for minute "Yeah"

Her voice sounded rough, like she had taken sandpaper to her vocal cords. Eva saw the driver visibly shiver and she broke her hold on him. "Suppose you could call it that…"

For a moment, the driver could have sworn that he had heard a faint chuckle punctuating her words. Shuddering, he muttered "Cracked up bitch."

Eva smirked, suppose she was 'cracked up,' guess it was easy for others to see when a person did something inhumanly fucked. Even if they didn't know what happened, instinct screamed danger, self-preservation and all that. They were just coming onto the mouth of Harlow, the traffic light turned red and that was when Eva jumped out and ran. The driver screamed and made to tear down the road after her. Tossing up a middle fingered salute, Eva dashed down an alley, taking a short cut back to her apartment, which lay 2 streets over. The driver was not long for the chase. Once she went through the alley, his headlights hovered in place, only to retreat and disappear down Harlow road.

It took an extra 15 minutes for her to walk to her apartment. By the time she had reached her door, Eva's body was starting to give. Not bothering to turn on the lights, she walked towards her bathroom. Stumbling against jutting furniture and knocking her boots on the wall corners. Throwing in the shower to boiling, Eva pulled off her boots, discarded her dress and stepped in. The water, weighing on her in body and in garments. The water ran brown and red with slight chunks of gravel. Without thinking, Eva snagged up her washcloth and doused it in shower gel. She scrubbed her entire body until it turned the color of raw meat. No matter how hard she scrubbed, she could not get the feel of him off. She remembered every single touch, how it felt and where it occurred. Frustration took hold as she started chugging down hot water from the shower head. Perhaps she could scald the taste and feel out, but it only stirred the gag reflex and Eva whimpered as the aching muscles of her abdomen cried out as she coughed up the water.

With a sigh, Eva gave up on her attempts to wash everything down the drain. Her head hung just under the shower head, the the water enveloping her neck as it seeped into her flesh. Tears mingled with the water, hollow sobs were hidden in the hiss of steam and droplets. Lifting her head back, she rinsed the tears away.

She had been in the shower for a least an hour before she shut it off and came out. Shedding her dress, she tossed it into the garbage can next to the toilet. Naked and shivering as the cool night air drifted in from the window, Eva collapsed on her bed and closed her eyes. The nightmares were there even before she submitted herself to unconsciousness. She saw his face, laughing at her through a haze of exhaustion, and she could hear the begging. It was a never ending plea that played through like a broken record player. Skipping, only to leap backwards in the hopes of righting itself. Eva was crying again, and that was where sleep found her. Only, it dragged her back through everything, rewinding, again and again. Throughout the night, Eva woke up crying or screaming. She couldn't' stop herself from reliving every minute detail of what he did, of what she did. In the end, sleep provided a new form of torment and no relief.

(Author's Note: I am happy to see that so many are enjoying my story. I apologize for the fact that some of my chapters seem short. I work 27-35 hours a week, and alongside that, I am wrapping up my final term so that I may graduate with a BA in Literature and minor in Creative Writing. I thank you all for reading. I'm glad to see that an idea that was brought on by a night of drinking and giggling over Joker with tattoos spurred such a large readership. I wish I were a better visual artist, I would be able to provide you all with a look into how I see Eva. So, my dearest readers, Tschuss und Guten Abend.)


	15. Disinfectent

When Eva woke up, she knew that she had missed at least one consultation with a client. After taking stock of all the bodily pains, she found that she was beyond caring. It felt like someone took a sledge hammer to her head and then went to town on the rest of her. She had thought that she would have slept off some of the pain, but a massive headache was beginning to split her skull in two. With a groan, she limped into the bathroom. Without looking in the mirror, she leaned forward an took a mouthful of water from the sink. Her abdomen resisted, and when she swallowed her throat ached horribly. Finally, Eva looked herself over. The bruises had been deep, she recalled reading somewhere that intense bruising normally took on early stages of blue and purple. The color had become more severe during the night, and they hurt with every heart beat and movement. Her cheek looked like some sort of gruesome flower, the way the colors spread on her flesh. Opening the cabinet that stood opposite the sink, Eva dug for her first aid kit. It had been a house warming gift when she had moved here over two years ago. It had never been opened, till now. Taking a seat, Eva pulled out the Neosporin and gauze. Eyeing her mangled knees, she squirted the disinfectant on and proceeded to bandage them up. By the end of first aid session, she had attached a cold pack to her cheek and her neck. It was probably too late, but the cold provided some pain relief. It didn't feel like Joker had broken anything. She also wrapped up her hands and treated any of the bites she had received.

Throwing on her bathrobe, Eva left the bathroom and went into the kitchen. Her purse was on the floor, she could hear a faint beep, signaling the slow death of her cell phone battery. Grabbing it, she plugged it in, and watched as several voicemails and text messages came through. One was from work, another was a frustrated client. The rest were from Marni. Just as Eva was preparing to make a pot of coffee, the phone buzzed, it was Marni. Heaving a sigh, she picked it up. "Eva!"

It was a solid minute before Eva responded "Eva? Eva I know you're there I can hear you breathing!"

Taking a deep breath, and fighting the urge to unload everything onto her friend "Hey Marni…"

"Fucking Christ Eva, what happened to you last night!?"

It was another several seconds before she could bring herself to speak "I-I-Marni, I'm really sorry."

"Well you should be, I was so worried I thought something happened! Why wouldn't you answer the phone?"

Eva glanced in the mirror that hung in her living room. "It died."

She absently touched the cold pack on her neck. "I drank too much and I didn't wanna interrupt you, so I called a taxi…"

"You should have told me! We could have left if your weren't feeling well."

That was true, even though Marni had been reluctant to leave last night, if she had started puking her guts out, the oddball motherly instincts would have kicked in. Why Eva hadn't thought to use that? "You looked like you were having a lot of fun…"

"That's never stopped you before."

That was also true, sick Eva was incredibly childish and clingy, but only with Marni "Well, I just didn't want to ruin your evening."

There was a long pause on Marni's end "Eva, please tell me what's going on?"

She turned on the coffee maker "What do you mean, nothing's going on."

Marni huffed "I'm not stupid Eva! You've been acting off and I know it's about that new client."

She rubbed her eyes, and worried her lower lip "It's just someone from the mafia alright."

That should shake her off. Mafia were intimidating, not as bad Joker, but they were up there "So, it's just mafia?"

Oh Christ, she was buying it. "Yeah, I met him the night before and….. And he gave me a bit of scare."

Another break "He wasn't the reason you left last night right?"

"No, I just drank too much."

That seemed to pacify Marni. Her epiphany from last night must have been erased by the alcohol "He didn't threaten you did he?"

The laugh this spurred was hollow "Haha, you know these mafia types, always threatening and saying if I turn them over to the cops, they'll start pulling off fingernails."

Marni chuckled "I guess, I'm sorry for freaking out."

Thank the God of booze and God in general "It's ok, I should have let you know I was leaving, or at least texted you…"

The doorbell chimed suddenly "Hey Marni, I gotta go…"

"Alright, I'll call you later."

"Right, later."

(Author's Note: One of my readers told me who they envisioned playing the part of Eva while reading my story. It makes me curious, if you guys want, you are welcome to tell me who you see as Eva while you read. Tschuss!)


	16. Nurse Carl

Setting the phone down, Eva made her way to the door. Looking through the peep hole, she staggered back and opened the door, which took a second, it had jammed again "Stupid fucking door…"

The landlord, Mr. Harris, looked slightly shocked at her language. He was a portly man, a bit greasy with beady eyes. He stared at her for a very long time before speaking "Ms. Anton, this guy says he knows you?"

It was then she noticed the suit standing off to the side. She recognized him instantly and shuddered. Eva found that she couldn't muster the energy to be surprised, of course Joker knew where she lived. It would have been second nature for the sociopathic nut to know everything about his victims. The henchman looked her over and gave her a warning look. She noticed that he was carrying a suitcase. "Yeah, he's here to deliver some estimates on supplies for my shop

Harris didn't seem to buy it. She did not understand why he suddenly developed a conscience. Then again, Eva looked down at herself for a split second. The landlord was on thin ice with the police for playing deaf to the domestic violence that took place downstairs a little over a year ago. It had been a messy situation where the husband went to shoot the wife, missed and killed a kid in the apartment above them. Eva had heard Mr. Harris say he'd had several complaints about the noise from his tenants, but never bothered to the call the police. Couldn't have another kid shot on his watch. Eva elaborated on her story to draw him off the scent "I'm not going into work today because I fell in the shower. So I called and asked him to come here instead."

Still not buying it. It must be the bathrobe and the fact that Eva still had bedhead "But, I wasn't expecting him until 3pm. Carl here, is more a morning person than I am."

Fighting back the urge to gag, Eva winked at the henchman and smiled at Mr. Harris. "I'm sorry if he alarmed you, come on in Carl, I'll get you some coffee."

The henchman smirked and stepped past the landlord, Eva let him pass and continued to smile at Mr. Harris "Have a lovely afternoon sir. Oh, if you could send someone up to fix my door, I'd appreciate it. I put in a request for a repair several months ago and you keep ignoring it."

Before the landlord to interject, Eva shut door on his fat grubby nose. She felt the henchman's eyes on her back. Taking a deep breath, she turned and walked past him "Did the Joker need something, Carl?"

She took a sip of her coffee, forcing it down past the swelling of her throat. It seemed to have doubled in size as she lied to the landlord. The henchman took a seat on the ratty bar stool at the kitchen island "Boss wanted me to look you over."

Eva backed up a bit and glared at him "You're not touching me."

He put his hands up, as if to ward off her assumptions "I meant that he wanted me to check on your injuries."

That was even more confusing "Why?"

Carl shrugged "He worries."

Eva chuckled for a second, slowly that chuckle turned into a laugh that could rival one of Joker's "No, no, the Joker doesn't worry."

He shrugged again "Well, either way I was a licensed nurse, wouldn't hurt to make sure you didn't break anything."

She put down her mug of coffee rather forcefully "I already looked myself over. If Joker is worried about breaking one of his toys, you can tell him…"

The anger welled up inside her and before she could take a breath and calm down, it was out of her mouth before she could retract the fangs and claws "You can tell him that he hits like a bitch!"

Carl stared at her for a long time "You're lucky that he wasn't here for that. That's the kind of talk that got you looking like that."

He nodded at both her cheek and neck "Joker normally doesn't give a shit about his women, fucks em and dumps em in a ditch for the cops to find."

Eva paled when Carl said 'his women.' She didn't want to be one of Joker's women, that was the last thing anyone should want in their lives. He continued "But you… You're different."

She sneered "Ya, cause I'm tattooing the bastard."

He shot out of his chair like a Jack in the box. Eva reeled back and grabbed the coffee pot. Ready to throw what remained at the henchman. Before she could defend herself, he slowly sat back down "You're lucky he isn't here."

Shaking, Eva put down the pot, opting for a kitchen knife that lay hidden on the counter just behind her back "Why?"

Carl chuckled "Because he doesn't like other people touching his toys."

The rage ran through her like a stampede. In that moment, Eva saw red and her fingers wrapped around the handle of the knife. Before she could comprehend the stupidity of her actions, Eva swung the knife around and brought it down less than an inch away from where Carl's arm rested on the island. Bad move, Carl grabbed the wrist of her knife wielding hand and was around the island in second. He slammed her against the wall and brought her free hand behind her back. Wrenching it up whenever she struggled "Now see, that was stupid. Cause now I really wanna hurt ya."

Eva was hissing and breathing through her teeth as she fought against him and tried to free herself. She realized that she shaking, her body was weak from last night. It couldn't take much more of the beatings "Now, drop the knife so you don't get your ass kicked, and I don't get mine shot when I have to hurt you."

Frustration made her grip the knife until her knuckles turned white "You're a real fucker."

She felt him nod against the back of her head "Yup."

Facing the wall, she snarled "I hate him."

Carl shook his head, and chuckled "That'll change."

Snarling, Eva let the knife drop, it clattered on the floor, completely useless. "No it won't."

Seeing that the danger had passed, Carl readied to let her go. A thought occurred to Eva, and she brought her head back and forced the back of her head into his nose. She heard it snap, and she cried out when Carl's teeth caught on her. The henchman reeled back, gasping in pain. Eva spun and clutched her head, laughing hysterically while groaning in pain. The blood wet her fingers, but she hadn't felt such a thrill. It was good to hurt someone who deserved the correct dosage of pain. Carl held onto his nose, there was a bit of blood, nothing indicating that she had broken anything. Eva figured that she must hit it at an angle, it was probably dislocated. "We both hurt each other, and I can hide this."

She pointed to her head "Touch me again, and I tell Joker what you did?"

Carl clutched his nose, surprisingly he began to snigger. Though it was more a gurgle what with the way he was holding his nose "Clever little bitch."

With a loud snap and an unmanly shriek of pain, Carl managed to right his nose.

The two stared at each other for a good minute before Carl got up and let himself out. Eva stayed on the floor, pressing a kitchen rag to the back of her head. It took about 20 minutes for the bleeding to subside. Laying back against the cabinets, Eva sighed "It'll never change."


	17. Carl, Mark, Mickey, Mick

The bitch was right, this door was a piece of shit. It took more time than necessary to open the damn thing. As Carl made his way down the stairs, he eyed the manager's office. The landlord was sitting inside lunch. Raising a thoughtful eyebrow, Carl made for his car and got in. It wasn't a long drive back to the safe house. Every once in a while, Carl glanced at the review mirror. "Fucking bitch."

She had done a number on his nose. It had only been dislocated, and it was going to look like shit for the next few weeks. It still hurt like a mother fucker even though it was back in the correct spot. Smirking, he pulled off the curb and headed into the Narrows. He liked her, despite being a bitch, she had some serious nerve. Most would fall apart after being put through their paces, but other than some bruising, scrapes, and frayed nerves, she had managed to come out stronger. She'd definitely last. Pulling up to the front of the hideout, Carl got out and went inside. The place looked incredibly run down from the outside, but once inside it was a touch more livable. Joker's crew had gone through the process of fixing the place up. All the mold had been taken care of, water damage and cracks in the wall had been sealed over and repainted. It wasn't too far from Joker's club either, kept the system tight and easy to manage. Carl went and grabbed a rag and some ice from the freezer. Fashioning a make shift ice pack, he pressed it to his nose in an attempt to stave off the swelling "Did you just get in?"

Carl looked up from the kitchen table. Jonny Frost, Joker's right hand man, had just walked in "Yeah…"

Taking a seat, Frost eyed him "Jesus Fuck Mark, what the hell happened?"

Removing the pack, the subordinate henchman let Frost have a look at his nose "She head butted me."

Raising an eyebrow, Frost chuckled "She's got balls, I'll give her that. How'd she look?"

Shrugging, Mark reached around and popped open the fridge, grabbing two beers "Bruised, a couple cuts, nothing serious."

Snatching one of the beers, Frost opened it "You didn't actually examine her did you?"

Downing half the bottle, Mark shrugged "Bitch is like a cat on speed, I wasn't touching that."

Jonny was about to drink but froze "You know Boss ain't gonna like that."

Mark sneered "Well, she came at me with a knife and I wasn't 'bout to push my luck, Frost."

Taking a long drink from his beer, Frost sniggered "You're a real pussy."

Mark glared "So shoot me, I didn't wanna get stabbed."

Sniggering, Frost polished off his beer "It ain't that hard to subdue someone, especially a woman."

Mark's hands began to shake, he had all but abandoned the ice pack. It lay on the table, slowly puddling "Boss told me, no discipline."

Frost paused, a rueful smile stretching across his lips "Got your ass kicked by some lanky as fuck tattooist. You really are a puss, Mark."

Fighting the urge to go on the attack, Mark snatched up his beer and chugged it. Getting it up, he threw the empty bottle at Frost "Fuck you Jonny."

Laughing, Frost leaned back in his chair "Boss is upstairs, report to him. Don't tell him you manhandled his woman."

He froze at the stairs for a second. How had Jonny surmised that he had put Joker's bitch in a lock. Suppose he was as smart at the Boss, probably why Joker had kept him around for so long. Hell, Mark was surprised he had lasted this long. Heading up the stairs, he turned off to the left and knocked on the door "What!?"

Mark flinched "Uh Boss, it's Mark…"

There was a pause, until finally "Who?"

That basically cemented the fact that he was expendable "The guy who wears the eyeball helmet…. I just got back from checking on her."

The her really did not require much defining. The Joker only had one "her" at the moment "Intrude!"

Taking a deep breath, Mark opened the door and went inside. The Boss had his back to him, he seemed to looking over something on his desk "Well, how fairs the little lady?"

He spoke of her with a strange air of fondness "She's alright, some bruises, a few cuts, nothing broken."

Joker turned, his pale eyes looking Mark over. They came to halt at his nose "Well, well, what happened there? I don't think that was there…. When you left… "

Mark swallowed the lump in his throat "She's jumpy."

That sent Joker into a fit of hysterics "So she hit you!"

The henchman look down at his feet. Joker slapped him on back, hard enough to knock him unsteady "You're a nurse Micky! Don't they teach you about bedside manner and all that?"

Joker seldom remembered the names of his henchmen, Frost was the exception to that "Now Micky, Micky. Mick, what did you do that made her hit you… huh?"

Mark refused to look up at his boss "I didn't do anything boss, didn't touch her, like you told me."

Boss grabbed his cheek and then he snatched the bridge of his nose. Mark screamed in agony, and Joker's grip tightened until there was a loud snap. Mark crumbled to the ground, blood gushing from his nose, flooding his nasal passages "Now Mick, I really hate it when people lie to me."

He looked up, trying to keep the blood from dripping "Boss, I ain't lying to ya."

A booted foot swung right into his stomach, and Mark was thrown a few inches across the floor. "Tell me Mick, did you touch my Eva?"

Spitting up blood, Mark finally looked at his boss, making eye contact with a twin set of barrels. Before he could scream, the gun went off. Reducing Mark, Carl, Mickey, Mick the Nurse's face to a mass of singed meat.


	18. Irezumi

A good distance away from the hideout, Eva had just stepped out of the shower. The blood was no longer pooling from her head, though it had bled quite a bit. The injury was not as severe. After a quick scan of Google, Eva surmised that this was common for head wounds. They bled like it Niagara falls, but it wasn't uncommon for the bleeding to be an inducer of unnecessary drama.

It was then that her stomach relinquished an angry roar. She hadn't eaten since last night, and that had only been appetizers. Looking herself over in the mirror, Eva figured it was best that she stay in for the day, give the bruises and other maladies the chance to calm down. Making her way to the kitchen, Eva started into making some bacon and pancakes. After a few minutes of standing in front of the stove, Eva was forced to grab a chair and drag it into the kitchen. Her body was beginning to come down from the adrenaline high, curtesy of Carl the Nurse. Touching the raw spot at the top of her head, Eva muttered "Asshole."

Her eyes wandered for a second, until they landed on her purse. It was still on the floor, having only been touched when Eva rummaged through it for her phone. Her tablet was peeking out from its confines. Eva grabbed for it, and opened it up. It was still alive and Joker's page was still open. Getting up, Eva set up the tablet and began the process of flipping pancakes and adding to the tattoos.

It wasn't long until Eva was sitting at the counter, fighting to keep the food down despite her throat's protesting. The other hand was the occupied with her work. Despite everything, Eva found that the tattoos and designs were coming easier. More twisted smiles decorated the screen, all in varying sizes, flipping to another page she spelled out his name in large lettering, she didn't fill it in, leaving it has hollow outlines. Next page, she brought the word "damaged" back, shaking her head, she moved on. New page, she started to draw out a knife, simple. The pen froze for a second, it looked like the knife from last night, the one he handed her to get the job done. The drawing itself was a simple replica, to anyone that was uninvolved it just an everyday switch blade. Shaking, Eva scrapped it, tossed it into the small trash can on her desktop.

Licking her lips, she started to draw the Bat insignia. With time it became cracked, like shattered glass, she started to add instructions for the blood effect. More detailed than the others. Hell, if this piece wasn't destined to go on Joker's body, Eva could admit to liking it, it was portfolio worthy.

Just as she was bringing her dishes to the sink, Eva's phone began to buzz. It was a client, they were hopping to schedule a skype consultation. Biting her lip, the tattooist mulled it over, she had already canceled on this client twice this week, another calculation from her end could result in a loss. Against her better judgement, Eva agreed. Within the hour she was skyping, and doing her best to hide the bruises on her face and neck. This was achieved by setting her tablet on the counter and only showing the clean side of her face. She also went the extra mile and threw on a shawl to cover her neck. It all worked out better than expected.

By the time the consultation had ended, it was 3pm. Normally, Eva would still be at work, if she hadn't canceled her one tattoos session today she would have been their till probably 8pm. Taking into account the clean-up and paperwork. Despite working in what most would assume was an incredibly laid back industry, Naughty Needles was still a business and it needed to be a treated as such.

Sighing, Eva sat down on the couch and flipped on the TV. She couldn't go outside looking like this. Absently, she touched the bruises on her neck. After the consultation, she had removed the ice packs. The pain was as raw as ever, and the memory of being so close to death was still running rampant in her mind. Snatching up the remote, Eva began to flip through channels, she needed to distract herself from thinking about him or the events of last night, dwelling on them only made it worse.

Falling back into the upholstered confines of the couch, Eva purged her thoughts with mindless television. There was a special on the Discovery channel about body modifications across the globe. It got her thinking about work and the possibility of bringing in an artist who specialized in Irezumi or scarification. Irezumi could bring in some business from the local Japanese mob. Though Eva was loath to do any work for the criminal side of Gotham, she couldn't resist of the call of the money. It was not a cheap process. Lifting up the left pant leg of her sweats, Eva's fingers traced out the design of the small Irezumi flower she got after she dropped out of school. When she was in the process of realizing her dreams to open her own tattoo parlor, she traveled a bit. One of the places had been Japan.

It was heavily detailed, as most Irezumi were. It also hurt like a mother fucker when it was happening. It was like being shived multiple times, which is exactly what it was. The process involved a long applicator with large needles and they were shoved in quick and fast. Still, the result, an incredibly vivid and highly detailed Chrysanthemum, had made the whole thing worth it. Her thigh healed pretty quickly, and Eva took pride in her pain threshold. Most Tebori (as the Japanese called hand carved tattoos) were said to be excruciating. Eva had also traveled into Alaska and Hawaii to have a look at their methods, though she didn't come home with anything on those trips. Not all tattoos were for everyone and she did not have the genealogical background that opened her to taking on something that was very sacred to the culture.

Tapping the flower, thoughtfully, Eva looked up the television. Only to find that her program was no longer on. Instead, it had switched over to a local news bulletin "The Joker has escaped from Arkham Asylum!"

Eva's shoulders slackened "This morning, Arkham doctors were shocked to find that Brandon Hicks (an Asylum orderly) who had been reported missing for the last 2 week, was standing in for Joker in his cell at the Asylum. In an interview, Mr. Hicks explained that the Joker had incapacitated him during rounds the night he went missing. Clearly, the Joker had been planning this for some time and was ready to have Mr. Hicks play as his double. Authorities are still unsure as to how the Joker managed to escape the Asylum undetected, the matter is being investigated. The Police advise that citizens call the hot line listed below if the Joker is sighted and are advised to keep their distance should they see him."

The screen switched back to tattoo special. Before she knew was she was doing, Eva threw the remote across the room. It smashed into the wall and the batteries ricocheted. She couldn't escape him, the bastard was literally everywhere. He wasn't even in the room and even when she had managed to think of other things, he popped right back up. It was like when you stepped on a cockroach, and it would just lay more eggs, making your pest problem a hundred times worse than it was before. Groaning, Eva rolled over and put her back to the TV. Somehow she was still able to cry, only the tears were the product of frustration.

(Author's Note: Well my dearest readers, we are celebrating a great victory this evening. The fic has garnered a little over 200 reviews in its brief existence. I would like to thank the academy, my unofficial Beta reader who puts up the incredibly disturbing excerpts I send her (unannounced) via facebook, and finally I'd like to thank you all for your support and kind words. Have a lovely evening my loves.)


	19. Lap Dog

Eva stayed on the couch for the rest of the day and the ill desire to move resulted in her passing out. Somehow, she had managed to have achieved a dreamless sleep. When she woke up, the glow of the street lights streamed through her window. Her body still ached, but it had dulled in the few hours she had slept. The TV still hummed in the background and glowed eerily against her back. That was when she felt a foreign warmth where her cheek rested.

Feeling something gentle brush against her scalp and playing with her hair. It was comforting, for a brief moment the sensation was welcomed. It took a moment for Eva to process exactly what was happening and when she did, her eyes snapped open. Her head had been made to rest in someone's lap. It didn't take long for her to deduce who it was, the insanely pale skin that peaked out from the low buttoned shirt, gave it away. Taking a deep and calming breath, Eva incline her head and looked up at him "How did you get in here?"

His pale eyes glinted with the flashing on the TV. When he smiled, it stirred chills, as if someone cut open her back and laid ice out on her naked spine. He reached for her bruised cheek. Eva flinched away, expecting one of his slaps. Instead, his fingers were gentle. He did not even press the bruise enough to make it hurt, his fingers were actually cold enough to act as compress to dull the ache "I'm the Joker sweetheart, I go where I like."

Looking back at the TV, he went back to stroking her hair "Your door… It's a piece of shit by the way."

Everything in her screamed that she get out of this position, but the other half was afraid of the consequences "Yeah"

She let her eyes drop from his face, though the alternative wasn't any better "You should get it fixed—"

He started to chuckle, the action jostled Eva little, her breathing quickened. Joker looked down at her, his teeth glittering like sharp cuts of glass "Hehe, there's a lot of crazies out there, who…"

He leaned in towards her, she could smell his breath. In that moment, Eva swore up and down that she caught the scent of his metal teeth "Who don't have your best interests at heart"

Like he did? Eva hands balled into fists, and her fingernails bit into her palms. Joker looked back at the TV, his free hand reached towards the end table and he brought a glass of wine to his lips. The asshole just helped himself to Eva's stash! She looked back at his torso, hoping the anger in her eyes was enough to burn holes in his skin. Naturally, it did nothing of the sort. Joker smacked his lips, loudly savoring the wine. He put it back on the table and continued to play with Eva's hair. His fingers hit the spot where Carl's teeth had hit, Eva flinched and tried to sit up. Joker placed his hand on her neck "Ah ta ta…. Stay put."

He loved her like this. How she fought him at every turn. Her body would shake with anger, fear was rarely the first response with her. When it was, it would shape into rage and she would snap at him like a cornered animal, and whenever she snapped there would always be a retreat. Little Eva would submit and do as she was told. Self-preservation was beautiful on her.

Joker felt her pulse shiver along her neck, with every beat it went faster and faster. His fingers dug at the holes on her head, she bowed her head and kept in the urge to scream. Her stifled breath tickled as it played across the exposed part of his torso. He pressed harder into the injury and left it like that for a solid minute, until he relinquished. Eva breathed deep, and he felt her heart beat run steady at subdued panic. Smirking, he took her chin and forced her to look up at him "Now, who has your best interests—"

Incredible, he could see himself in those eyes. The way the light hit them caused a reflection in the tears that were beginning to pool. He leaned in, and pressed his lips to both her eyes. Leaving behind twin red stains on the lids "At heart?"

The anger exuded off of her. Causing the flecks of yellow in her eyes to leap forward and the olive green to darken and cloud into something close to black. But it relapsed, she looked down and set her head on his lap "You."

He stroked her cheek and took up his glass on wine, he chuckled as he sipped "Good girl."

The TV continued to hum, sounded like cartoons. Eva didn't dare move or even turn her head "Talk to your landlord about that door."

Eva didn't bother looking up "I have."

He swirled the wine in his glass "Oh, have you?"

She nodded "I hate that door, landlord knows about it."

Feeling his muscles tighten, she looked up and realized that she shouldn't have said anything "Well, don't fret."

He polished off his wine, he licked his lips and stared at her, smile on his face "Daddy'll take care of it."


	20. Dominus Red

She knew what that meant and despite her desire to keep this set up from turning violent, Eva tried to take him off the landlord's scent "I think he'll fix it this week."

He twirled a strand of hair around his finger "Trying to protect him?"

"No."

He pulled at her hair, her eyebrows twitched in response to the pain. Eva knew this was a warning "You know…"

He pulled harder "Daddy doesn't like liars."

Gritting her teeth, Eva muttered "I hate that sleazy bastard, but I need him to fix my door."

She glanced up at him "I don't want you to waste your resources…"

Fighting the urge to puke, Eva smiled up at him "On fixing a door."

She could do this, sitting up she reached her free hand out and brought him towards her. She pressed her lips to his. Jesus fucking Christ, he was literally growling. Quelling a shudder, Eva imagined that she wasn't making out with the Joker, it was just the cute guy who worked at her favorite café. When Joker bit down on her lip, it hurt enough for Eva to pull away. Her fingernails dug into the upholstery of the couch, but she forced a look of adoration and innocence.

Joker's eyes were half lidded, and he seemed very pleased with the turn of events "Mmm, careful."

Chuckling, she managed to maneuver her way off of him. By some miracle, he didn't try to pull her back "I'll get you some more wine."

He turned to watch her go, as if he was waiting to catch her façade as it slipped and shattered. Luckily, Eva managed mask her body language and he couldn't see her face with her back to him. It was contorted into a look of pure disgust, which was directed more at herself than him. She couldn't believe that she had willingly swapped saliva with him, but she knew that her psyche couldn't handle another death because she ran her mouth.

Making it into the kitchen, she found the bottle that Joker had helped himself to. It was half gone much to her chagrin. It was a Dominus Napa Valley Red 2013, and it had been priced at little over $200. Not only that, but it had been gift from when she opened her shop and she had been saving it for some unknown special occasion. Fighting the urge to growl and possibly throw Joker's lip stained glass across the kitchen, Eva filled it. With a shrug, she pressed the bottle to her lips and took a very long sip, it had been a good wine. The bottle read "Composed of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc." Not bad, she could feel the caress of the crème de cassis, a subtle bite of blackberry, and quite possibly, a sweet hint of tobacco. It would have been a great wine to toast the unknown special occasion. Polishing it off, Eva placed the empty bottle under her sink. One of the most expensive non necessities she owned, gone.

Taking a deep calming breath, and numbed by the wine, Eva went back to the couch. Joker held out his hand, and Eva placed the glass there. He brought it to his lips, and hummed his enjoyment. Gritting her teeth, Eva's eyes jumped the decorative paperweight that sat on the end table. The thought of beating the shit out of him with it was incredibly tempting. Although, she doubted she could get her fingers within inches of it before Joker defended himself and then turned the defending into full blown assault. Lost in thought, Eva didn't notice that Joker had turned around to look at her "What're you thinking about sweetheart?"

She met his gaze, it was incredibly disturbing how his eyes went from 50 shades of murderous nut to curious and childlike. It made the hairs on the back of Eva's neck stand at attention "I was thinking about how you'd look with that paperweight in your skull."

This seemed to amuse him, he slapped the couch and laughed "That's what I like about you Eva…"

He snatched her arm and pulled her down to his level "You're so blunt!"

She didn't fight back, or even look away "Your violent tendencies are so delightful, so natural!"

Tapping the tip of her nose with his pointer finger, he chuckled "I knew I saw potential when you let the animal out, I didn't have to tell you how to do anything. You just did it!"


	21. Delinquent

Eva was growing impatient at this point. Perhaps it was the wine bringing out the anger. Joker smiled "I adore what rage does to your eyes."

He brought her even closer, his glass cut irises boring holes into her. Their noses were practically touching "I'm glad I didn't scoop out those beauties, would have been a waste."

Her nostrils flared when he pressed his forehead to hers "You scared?"

There was a beat of silence. Eva glared at him, he seemed to enjoy her anger as long as it didn't inspire rebellious action. "No, I'm….Angry."

A smile pulled at his lips, and the light of the TV flashed on his metal clad teeth "I suppose that's a common emotion…"

A small curl of hair had fallen into Eva's line of vision, smirking the Joker pushed it back. All the while never taking his eyes off hers "No fear for a veteran of Gotham's foster care system."

That did spark a twinge of nervousness. Though, she figured it was to be expected that Joker know about her time in foster care. He seemed to note the nervous twitch of her lips "Evelina Fia Anton, mother gunned down in your own home during a robbery."

Had he memorized her file? "9 years old, and you saw it all from a crack in the closet door."

He was pushing her, reliving the worst moment in her life was his method of punishment. The physical abuse was on hold, the mental was beginning to rear up like a cobra, spitting venom. "Even then…"

He had turned around fully, his knees digging into the couch as he trained all his attention on her "None of your living relatives wanted you, and after a thorough cleaning of all the cobwebs in that pretty little head of yours, you were booted right into the foster care system."

Eva remembered that night, despite several hours of therapy and a few prescriptions, nothing could erase the way the blood seeped through the closet door and wetted her feet. No amount of repression could bring her to forget the last time she saw her mother alive. Getting her face kicked in, and her head crushed underfoot while strangers rooted through their shitty apartment in the hopes of finding something good "Even then no one wanted you."

Joker could see her eyes clouding over, enthralled by memories. "You were kicked out for beating on one of your foster daddies because he took ahhh…. Hands on approach to parenting."

Nationwide more than 63,500 cases of sexual abuse in Foster homes have been reported. Any time Eva recalled those moments in her life, she'd play that fact over and over again in her head. She never understood why it was comforting, but it seemed to work "You had nightmares, went on hunger strikes."

They probably had file on record with the GPD, Eva had been a bit of juvenile delinquent "Arrested for trespassing when you ran away, and where did you run to Eva, my sweet sweet Eva?"

Her knees shook a little at the memory "Home…"

Putting a finger to his ear "What was that sweetie?"

She could feel the tears in her eyes, but she took several breaths and kept them from spilling "I went home."

He nodded "Your condemned home, the cops found you curled up on your mother's blood stains. My my, so poetically tragic. How old were you Eva?"

His nails dug into her hand "13."

After her mother's death, relators couldn't sell the house. It had been condemned but it would be years before it be would torn down. It was still there, and the stains had probably rotted away with the foundation. A couple tears spilled over, Joker's thumb ran under her eyes and caught them "The Johnsen family didn't want you back after that huh?"

They hadn't, the social worker came and picked her up the next day. Eva had stayed at the Police station that night. "And how did all that make you feel Eva? Did it make you sad?"

She shook her head. "Afraid?"

She shook her head again "Angry."

At that point, she remained still . Joker smiled at her "And what did you do?"

"I broke the windows of their car and shredded its tires."

Eva had almost been sent to juvie for that one. After being threatened by the Judge, Eva didn't test the ropes again. It helped that in the Morgan house (the family that took her after the Johnsens), she met Marni.


	22. J

Eva had never had a friend until Marni came into her life. When she had lost her mother, Eva spent the better portion of her childhood and early teens walking around in a constant red haze. When the social worker brought Eva to the Morgans, she was introduced to her roommate, Marni Constance. "I don't think you understand sweetheart, but I'm all you've got at this point. Do you think your friend'll stay once she finds out what you've done?"

He was hitting all her weak points, he was threatening her only family. "Do you think she'd want anything to do with you after she finds out who you belong to?"

Joker was staking his claim "I don't belong to you."

The words came out in a hiss. His nails drove home into her skin, Eva winced but didn't pull away "You ahh…. Seem to be having a problem with accepting reality."

He laughed in her face, running his fingers down her cheek, her pulse accelerated "Perhaps I should… Employ a bit more discipline?"

She lunged, Eva couldn't hold back anymore. "I don't belong to you!"

The full weight of her body sent the pair of them off the couch. Landing her fist home in his gut, her punches flew. It was as if he didn't feel the pain even though Eva had managed to split his lip. "HAHAHAHA!"

Her fingers laced into his slicked back green hair and she slammed his head into the floor "WOOOOOO!"

She was going to bash his skull in, slamming his head into the floor a second time. Eva jumped up and grabbed for the paperweight "Oh, no, no, no you don't…"

Her fingers grasped the glass weight, and Joker's arms wrapped around her waist, he pulled her back. Crying out, Eva spun and took aim. Freeing one of his arms, Joker caught her wrist, and the paperweight flew across the room. It drove home into the wall "Naughty, naughty, naughty…."

He spun her onto her back, forcing her hands up over her head. The tears were in full force, and they ran a course into her hair. Leaning forward, the blood from Joker's lip dribbled onto hers. She could see the smirk in his eyes as he feigned pity "Oh, shhh, shhh, shhhhhh."

Eva struggled a bit in the hopes of throwing him. He was stronger that she had anticipated, she snarled "Get off me!"

He was leaning closer to her, his eyes focused on her lips. Shrieking, Eva gnashed her teeth at him. He pulled back, a look of amusement on his face. "Come any closer and I'll tear your lips off…"

"Oooh, is that promise….sweetheart?"

Eva managed to loosen one of her legs just enough to knee him in the stomach, she snarled "Yes…"

He put his full weight on her legs, and a growl seemed to shake to life in his chest "My, so kinky."

Freeing her left hand for a second, he quickly shackled it in with her right hand. She felt cold touching her legs, he was pulling up left pant leg of her sweats. He was running a knife up to her thigh, his eyes jumped to the tattooed Chrysanthemum. Eva grit her teeth and struggled, the knife bit into her flesh, a warning. Then it slide into the flesh, like an ice cold paper cut. He was damaging her tattoo, he was carving something onto it. When Eva opened her mouth to scream, he forced his lips to hers. True to her threat, Eva bit down on his lower lip and punctured it, blood pooled in her mouth. The scent invaded her nostrils, making the taste ten times stronger than before. He pressed his lips to her neck and dug his teeth in. In any situation, the sensation may have been considering sensual, perhaps even gentle. Right now, it made her physically sick.

At long last, he relinquished his grip. She scooted away and pressed her back against the kitchen island. She eyed the dot to dot trail of blood the eked from her thigh. Eva stared at her tattoo, he had destroyed it. The blood hid the flower and the damage done to it "Hehehehe."

She looked up at him, his eyes were zeroed in on his mark. Eva could sense the pride in his gaze. There was so much blood that she couldn't see what he had down. Grabbing for the kitchen towel that hung off the island. She bloated the blood away, and before it could slick over with gore, she caught sight of J. He had etched it into the center of the tattoo. Gritting her teeth, Eva pressed the towel to her thigh. It hurt enough to distract from the dull ache of her head and the soreness of her bruises "Beautiful..."

Eva looked up at him, and noted the pride that radiated from his gaze, for him it was just another step towards his ownership of her. She wanted so badly to puke, thoughts of firing up the iron ran through her head. She could burn away the mark, it wouldn't be pretty, but by comparison this mark was uglier.


	23. Leverage

It stung horribly as she wrapped the towel about her thigh. He had ruined it, though it had not been her favorite, Eva felt this piece had signified her taking her life into her hands and making her way outside of traditional expectations. In that moment Eva found herself crying, she was losing everything that made her life hers.

The blood welled up under the kitchen towel, turning a significant amount of it a horrid red. Pulling it away, she stared at the J, it ran the length of the tattoo. It hurt like a mother, and with all the struggling, he had probably damaged the muscles. Joker continued to observe her, the prideful smirk never leaving his face.

Slowly he got up and crossed the room to her. Eyes widening, Eva pushed her back against the island, causing her leg to bend at the knee. The cut screamed but she kept the pain from her face as she glared up at him. The anger burned in her stomach, like a surgeon had sliced open it and the acid splashed out and devoured her internal organs. Taking a knee, he took hold of her chin "You seem to have a problem with authority…."

The pain inspired tears wetted his fingers, he shrugged, smirk blooming into his trademark smile "Now, normally, I like that in my women, but in your case…."

His fingers dug in for a second "It's become tiresome when you throw your cute little tantrums."

He was treating her violent bid for freedom like it was the fit of three year old "Especially when they are directed at me… or cost me men!"

Joker wrench her chin up and then forced it back "I didn't do shit to your goon…"

The words came out in a hiss "I'm sorry what was that sweetie?"

He put a hand to his ear. Sneering, Eva forced herself by putting the majority of her weight on the counter. She hobbled around the island, putting a barrier between herself and him. Her leg seared with pain but she didn't want him to know how badly it hurt "He touched me…"

She'd need to play nice now. Turning, she fixed him with a perverse smile "I told him not to, so I defended myself."

Blood was starting to snake down her leg, it had soaked the rolled up hem of her sweatpants "He said he wasn't supposed to apply discipline, he broke your rules."

Joker chuckled as he walked around the island "Mmm, you're lucky that Micky was sniveling piece of shit."

Eva quirked an eyebrow "So that was his name…"

He eyed her "Hmm, and what did you call him?"

She put weight on her leg, and winced "I called him Carl, he sort of rolled with it."

He cracked a smiled and started to laugh, and then it turned into a roar of amusement. Eva had a pause in her thinking, why was this conversation so fucking normal all of a sudden? A minute ago, she and Joker had been rolling around on the floor trying to maim the other. Eva glanced at the paper weight in the wall. Joker was talking again, but she had long tuned him out. Was this normal for him, trying to kill the object of obsession, and then making small talk. She jumped when he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. When she tried to pull away, he pushed her up against the counter. Wrapping his arms around her thighs, he lifted her up. His fingers brushed along the J cut, Eva tensed as the pain doubled at the touch. Smirking, Joker pulled away. His fingertips were dappled in her blood, smiling he stuck out his tongue and licked at the gore. Eva's upper lip twitched, indicating her disgust at the action.

Chuckling, Joker inclined his head and eyed her wound "Get yourself cleaned up sweet cheeks."

He walked around the counter, making his way to the door. Pausing, he looked over his shoulder "Give your little friend a call, you know how she…. Worries…."

With that, he forced the door open and slammed it behind him. Eva grit her teeth, she swallowed the lump in her throat as she slowly descended from the countertop. Her injured leg screamed at the weight as she hobbled into the bathroom with the kitchen towel pressed awkwardly against it. Making it to the bathroom, Eva got into the tub and ran the water. So he knew about Marni, she was on his radar now and would use her if he had to. Allowing her head to hang off to the side, Eva watched as her blood took to the bath water. She'd need to do something about Marni, she had to keep her safe.


	24. Urgent Care

Eva ended up going to an Urgent care unit close to her apartment. She did not have much of a choice in the matter, an infection was the last thing she needed right now. After throwing on a sweatshirt and shedding her bloodstained sweats, Eva grabbed the cash required to cover the fee at the unit.

The drive only took about 10 minutes. Pulling up, she threw the hood up over her face. She hobbled inside and checked in with nanny looking receptionist. After getting an eyeful of her, the old woman clucked and handed over a clipboard with the required paperwork, as she grabbed it, the woman held firm and spoke softly "Hun, you should leave him, for your own good."

Eva blinked a couple times, and finally pulled the clipboard away. She couldn't bring herself to come up with an excuse, saying something as cliché as 'I fell' came off at pathetic and sad. Taking a seat, she started filling out everything. Hearing some whispers, Eva looked up and noticed that a few people were staring, most of them were the homeless looking type, so their judgement didn't count for much. Attempting to return her attention to the clipboard, she paused. There was a scrawny looking woman sitting cross legged a couple seats down. Her hair was stringy and chemical blonde, her red pleather skirt was hiked up to thighs, her face was smeared with too much make-up. She looked severally beat, perhaps more so than Eva. The pair eyed one another. Huffing, the chemical blonde walked over and took a seat next to her. She smelled like stale cigarettes and cheap vodka, the stench was enough to singe the hairs in Eva's nostrils.

Silence permeated the space between them. Finally, the blonde spoke "Ya get use to the looks."

Eva stopped writing down 'Liza Hopkins' in for her name. "Excuse me?"

The hooker looked at her "Ya heard me."

Her eyes were twined with bits of red "I got into a fight."

That wasn't exactly a lie, she and Joker had fought. Though it probably wasn't fighting to Joker, more playing with a toy. The thought made her shudder "Bullshit…"

At least she was keeping her voice down "Ya boo likes it rough…"

Eva kept her eyes on the clipboard "Shut up…"

The hooker looked forward "We're a lot alike ya know?"

Getting up, Eva turned her clipboard over to the receptionist. She didn't bother waiting for another look of pity. The hooker watched her as she took up a spot as far away from her as possible. It was then that her self-appointed therapist noticed the blood seeping through Eva's jeans. They didn't speak to each other again "Colette?"

Eva watched her go, a single thought running through her mind 'we're nothing alike.' Pressing her hand against the warm blood stain on her jeans, Eva shut her eyes and leaned back in the chair. She just needed to breath, to think. "Liza?"

Opening her eyes, Eva forced herself up. Fighting back the desire to hobble to avoid damaging her thigh even further. At this point, her need to prove everyone here that she was still capable of standing on her own two feet, outweighed everything else.

"Ms. Hopkins, I wish you would tell me the truth."

Eva glared at the volunteer doctor "The truth is that I went out drinking and I got into fight."

He had insisted on checking her over for any internal damage. Eva figured that it couldn't hurt to double check so that she wouldn't pass out in the street, prompting a more thorough exam at Gotham General. Apparently, the checkup did hurt because through the powerful wisdom of doctordom, the young med student had deduced that there was more to Eva's injuries than she was letting on "If you're worried you'll be hurt again, I can call the police, they'll protect you."

Getting down off the exam table, Eva started putting on her pants "I'm fine doctor, it was just a bar fight"

Thankfully, the snot nosed punk hadn't noticed the unusual shape of the scar. Perhaps that would have been better. Maybe the prospect of examining one of Joker's latest employees would have rewarded Eva with the blessing of no questions asked. Still, this guy seemed like the kind of naïve to call the cops on her if he had an inkling that she had ties to the so called Clown Prince of Crime.

Pulling on her pants, Eva thanked the doctor and assured him one last time that her injuries were merely battle wounds. At long last, after paying for her visit in cash, Eva was back in the safety of her car. The scar gave off a twinge of pain here and there, but it was dull thanks to the anesthetic injections. Letting her brain slip into autopilot, Eva drove back to her apartment. After making her way up the stairs and shedding her newly bloodstained garment, she collapsed on her bed and gave into another fitful night of sleep.


	25. Tranquility

"Rough night boss?"

Eva glanced over her shoulder at Chris, he had been standing there for a while now. This was a pretty regular thing for him, especially when it was a client's first tattoo. The buzz of the tattoo machine ceased as Eva turned and let him get a good look at her injuries "You should see the other guy…"

She had been quick to concoct a cover story for her cuts, bruises, and the fact that she was limping. Eva was starting to surprise herself with how easily she could lie about all this, especially with a smile on her face. Chris swallowed the story as readily as the rest, and the session continued. The piece was simple, a detailed Greek Tragedy and Comedy masks with a red ribbon curling about the edges. The client was an old souled 20 something year old woman. Honestly, it had surprised Eva that this chick didn't already have a tattoo, the Mohawk, bright red dye job, and grunge clothing, made her assume that this was a second or third. Eva liked the design and the client had been ecstatic when shown the final print. For a first timer. The kid was handling the pain pretty well and only whimpered when Eva hit the incredibly fleshy spots near the arm pit.

Smirking, the tattooist started into shading the eyebrow like folds of the Comedy mask. Joker would probably approve of this tattoo, Eva paused for a second, as if queued by the sudden thought of him, her thigh gave a brief twinge of pain. Nothing a little Advil couldn't cure "Do you wanna take a break?"

The client nodded and slowly sat up "I need to take a piss…"

Eva chuckled "Bathroom's down the hall."

Once the client was out of the room, Eva trashed her black latex gloves and dug into her desk for her pain killers. After popping two pills and taking several gulps of water, she took a seat in her chair. Why was she even thinking about him? At work of all places, she had managed to break a personal record of not having him on the mind for a little over an hour. He was burrowing into her mind, taking it over like some sort of parasitic worm. Glancing towards her Surface, Eva turned her back on it and logged into her computer, she needed some music to distract her. Just as she was clicking on her Tattooing playlist, her client walked back in "I hope you don't mind a bit of music while we work?"

The client stretched a little and winced when she felt the slight pull of freshly inked skin "I'm good with anything."

Getting back into position, the buzz of the machine dulled the piano riff that introduced one of the songs into dulcet background noise. Within seconds, Eva was lulled into a realm of tranquility. In that moment she realized that work was the only way for her to attain any form of sound mindedness in her given situation. The session continued for about an hour before Eva pulled back and gave a satisfied sigh "Alright, I think we're done."

Slowly, the client sat up, there was a brilliant smile on her face. There was much pride to be had in getting a first tattoo. Smirking, Eva handed her mirror so that she could look. The woman squealed with joy and thanked Eva profusely as she went about wrapping up the fresh ink. Within about 20 minutes, the client was sent on her way. Smiling, Eva pocketed the $50 tip along with the $100 fee for the tattoo.

As she went about cleaning up the chair in order to prep for her next client, Eva opened up her Surface. Despite her ill desire to think of him, Joker was due in next week for his session, she'd need a lot in order to avoid pissing him off. The more he had to choose from, the less likely he'd be upset if one of her designs was deemed trash. As she did this, more detail was added to the multiple gritting smiles, and a small J was etched into the corner as an afterthought.

The rest of her day continued like this, and it was bliss to her. It felt like months since Eva had felt at ease. Joker wouldn't come her during the day, not with so many to witness. Suddenly, a small bottle of red ink slipped from her fingertips at a thought…. What if he was going to be at her apartment? He had no qualms about showing up out of the blue, for all she knew she'd find him waiting for her. A shiver ran up her spine at the very thought of him being there waiting to ambush her. Shuddering, her right hand dipped towards her thigh where the freshly stitched J lay. It stung a little, and the very thought of him made it hurt more "Eva?"

She jumped at her name and looked up to find Deluca staring at her "You alright?"

Blinking a couple time, Eva laughed as she bent over to retrieve the bits of broken glass from the ink jar "I'm fine, fine, just dropped a bottle. Could you get the broom for me. I've got a client in 45 minutes, can't have broken glass."

Deluca just stood there, obviously worried. For a second, he could've sworn that Eva looked as if she had seen a ghost of was having some sort of Vietnam flashback. He'd never seen her so pale. She glanced up at him and shook her head "You want me to get the broom, cause you look busy."

He came back to himself, finding Eva smirking at him. She was back to her usual sarcastic, almost bitchy self "What with the staring at my womanly figure and all….."

Laughing and putting up his hands as if to defend himself, he stepped away "Yeah, yeah, I got the hint boss!"

(Author's Note: So I shamelessly pulled a Stan Lee type cameo in this chapter, I'm sure that you can guess where I was?)


	26. Repair

The sun was beginning to set as Eva wrapped up with her final client of the evening. Once they had paid and left, she felt herself becoming sick to her stomach. She was dreading going home tonight, the thought of finding Joker in her apartment again, or even waking up to him was enough to set her head reeling with a storm of emotions that she couldn't even begin to undertake.

Once she finished with a little paperwork and cleaned her station, Eva grabbed her things and left. Leaving Deluca to lock up for the night, Joker would come here if he felt that she was avoiding him. At this point, she surmised that facing him head on was the best way to go about having him be a part of her life. She severally doubted that he would drop her like a hot potato once next week came and went, he had expressed a liking for her.

Like many young female Gothamites, Eva had been made aware of Joker's behavior when it came to keeping women, he didn't keep them long, especially when they fought back too much. Compromise and submission were the ingredients that would make her one of his survivors and not one of his victims. If she wanted to get out of this as mentally sound as possible, she'd have to do regular reality checks. Joker was never going to be an ally, anything he did was motivated by his desire to wreck her, wrap her around a tree like a car barreling at high speed.

Joker did not love, he did not feel compassion or sympathy because he was incapable of keeping such emotions on his person. Eva would have to go place she had never been, and claw her way back out again. She'd need to take all her sanity in and delve down to the level that Joker was at, once he was done with her, she could decompress her sanity and float back up. Eva always thought in pictures, and all these images gave her some sense of grounding. Pulling into her parking space outside the apartment complex, Eva sighed. "Play the part…"

Turning off the car, she glanced out her driver side window and at the window of her flat "Just play the part."

Grabbing her stuff from the car, she took the stairs. Looking up from flipping through her key ring, Eva found that her apartment door was open. Her heart seemed to stop pounding as it nosedived right into the pit of her stomach. He was here? Suddenly, Mr. Harris stepped out of her apartment. For a moment, she felt a warm sense of relief, that is until she saw his face. His left eye was blotched with green and purple and swollen to the size of a grapefruit. As she continued to look him over, she noted that several of the fingers on Mr. Harris's right hand had been bandaged, indicating that they had been broken. Eva dropped her keys. "Mr. Harris?"

He glanced up at the sound of her keys hitting the ground, only now realizing that she was there. "Ms. Anton!"

Terrified, he dropped to his knees and tried to work on her door "I'm almost done fixing your door, I-I know I'm a bit behind schedule but I got a call and…"

She held up her hand to stop him and went down to his level. Greasy bastard or not, Harris was still human, he didn't deserve this. Swallowing down her spit and horror, Eva let out a dry chuckle "Bastard got you good…"

Mr. Harris blinked "Tried to talk him out of it…."

Sitting back on her haunches, Eva sighed "Fucking asshole… Lucky, he didn't kill you."

Looked like the worst of the damage was Harris's hand, the eye would heal eventually. He'd live, Eva thought Joker would have killed him. Maybe she did talk him out of murder, at least her landlord was alive. Standing up, she walked past him "Thanks for fixing the door Mr. Harris. I'll be painting it this weekend…"

She looked over her shoulder and grimaced at Harris's anxious expression "Hope you don't mind."


	27. Graffiti

Eva spent the rest of the evening making herself something to eat, all while adding here and there details to Joker's tattoos. At the moment, she was doing her best to purge her mind of what Joker had done to her landlord. She had to keep reminding herself that Joker had originally planned to kill Mr. Harris, Eva had succeeded in keeping the greasy bastard among the living. Smirking, Eva eyed the empty bottle of $200 red wine as she tossed away some broken egg shells, if she still had the bottle she would have toasted the occasion. Joker was in control about 99.0% of the time, the rest was where Eva had control. She could convince him, and get him to see things her way as long as she played by his rules.

It took about an hour for Eva to finish making dinner, which consisted of roast chicken, parmesan butter potatoes, and package of steamed veggies. She ate her meal in front of the TV, which was still set on the channel that Joker had picked last night. MTV still played its old shows? A lazy grimace tugged at the corners of her lips and Eva settled in for reruns of Daria. She didn't feel like watching the news and was too lazy to grab the remote from the TV stand. So on MTV the TV stayed, and Eva ate while chuckling at the incredibly dry and nihilistic humor.

The sun finally set as Eva took her last bite of dinner. Quirking an eyebrow, she turned and looked in the direction of the now fixed door. She had plans for it, but she wasn't just what. Then, it came to her. Setting down her now empty plate, Eva went into her bedroom and shed her clothes. After rummaging around in her closet, she pulled out a pair of paint splattered sweats and a t-shirt that matched in its paint stains. Before Eva had opened up her tattoo shop, before she dropped out of school, she had been a fine arts major with a minor in English Lit. Long before she picked up the tattoo machines, her medium was something along the lines of graffiti. Reaching further back into the closet, she pulled out a laundry basket with several usable spray cans. After she grabbed the surgical mask that came with her first aid kit (which had been left open in the bathroom), Eva made for the door.

She spent about 2 hours outside, spray painting her door. The fumes from the paint were starting to swirl as they clogged her senses. As she added on the finishing touches, Eva had come to realize that she had been giggling for 10 minutes straight. Finally, she took a step back and admired her work. Eva had managed to spray the majority of the door solid black. Eva was a bit rusty in detailing with spray paint but she felt she got the point across. In the end, her door depicted one of Batman's calling card baterangs, it was lodged in the back of some unfortunate's head. The some unfortunate had slicked back chemical green hair, there was blood spirting out of the head, and the red of paint melded into the door's original burgundy color. As an after-thought, Eva knelt down and sprayed a quote in acid green, "You would make a lovely corpse."

Sitting back on her haunches, Eva marveled at her work "Not bad…"

Pulling off the surgical mask and the paint smeared latex gloves, Eva threw them in with her stash of paint cans. Dragging that inside, she peeled off her sweats and t-shirt and walked her apartment in a simple black bra and black boy shorts. Despite her gloves, paint still covered her arms and had tangled into the delicate strands of fuzz. It wasn't long until Eva found herself in the shower, washing away the excess of black, white, green, and red. It swirled like tie dye as went down the drain.

Eva's hands began to stray to the stiches on her thigh, the J was far more prominent. Now that the swelling had gone down and it was aligned with black plastic surgical thread. It stung a bit, nothing a few pain killers couldn't handle. The euphoric high of painting her door with something so disrespectful and threatening started to die down. Her fingers began to outline the chrysanthemum tattoo as she felt her insides go cold and shrivel like the coals in a fire pit. Pushing back her hair, Eva found herself laughing. Looking back at her estimations, having 9% of the control in this so called relationship with narcissistic wasn't much. She'd pay for that idle threat about Joker being a corpse, then again he might find the whole thing hilarious, who the fuck knew with him? Eva kept laughing, her throat seizing as tears of frustration mingled with the water. She had lost complete control of her life, every action she took was under his scrutiny, whether he was there or not to witness it. It was like he was slowly turning into some sick voice of reason.


	28. Inside my Head

After stepping out of the shower, Eva threw on her ratty old bathrobe. It rested just above her knees and was full of holes, to compensate for the lack of cover she pulled on a pair of clean sweats. Going into the kitchen, she started cleaning up her mess from dinner. She honestly couldn't figure out a way to occupy herself. TV was not doing a thing for her. As she shoved the last few dishes into the dishwasher, Eva glanced over at her bookcase. It rested on the far wall and was packed with variety of books. Closing the dishwasher, she walked over and aloud her fingers to run up the smooth spines of her books. Within a few minutes, she pulled down her marked up copy of Sylvia Plath. Taking a seat on her couch, the book fell open to worn pages

I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed  
And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.  
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

Her nails dug into the pages, causing crescent divots. Feeling a sudden disgust with the words and with the rearing of Joker in her head. She wanted something sobering, something that put her into the realities of pain, all of the cuts and bruises inflicted on her over the last few days. Flipping several pages back, she tried to lose herself in the words

I am terrified by this dark thing

That sleeps in me;

All day I feel its soft, feathery turnings, its malignity.

His face came back to her again, as if to coax her along this winding path. Eva couldn't seem to purge him. All the things that he was, everything that he was doing to bring her down to some ridiculous level.

I am terrified by this dark thing!

I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead!

I think I made you up inside my head

All day

I am terrified, its malignity!

Sung me moon-struck

I think I made you up inside my head!

Moon-struck

Quite insane.

Malignity, this dark thing that sleeps inside me.

Letting the book drop to the floor, Eva clutched her head and cradled it to her knees. A headache was blossoming, everything in her was screaming with confused agony. Nothing was processing in the realm of sanity, the words melded into a mess of jargon that made no sense and all the sense in the world. Her apartment began to spin a little when she made attempts to stand, it was as if the words of Plath pulled from her mindscape to dance in the realms of reality. Why was this happening? Everything he did, all the things she had done in the name of self-preservation were coming back and nailing her in the gut. As if her own human decency was punishing her for her actions. Eva saw the face of the man who choked on his tongue, the blotched up eyes of Mr. Harris. Joker's face blossomed, still coaxing her downward. Falling back on the couch, Eva kicked away the book and buried her head in the pillows "No darkness, not moon-struck, just shut up."

The images and words continued to dance, she waved her hands at them "I did nothing wrong. Please. Just. Shut. Up."

This was guilt, the overwhelming sense of guilt. It was swallowing her in much the same way when Eva was trying to navigate her life after her mother's death. At least in those days, drugs had numbed some of the insanity, perhaps even the hallucinations. Hell, Joker had wailed on her enough to cause minor head trauma. All rationality did not stop the onslaught of hallucinations and guilt ridden headaches that gobbled her up into the darkness. Curling up, Eva did her best to push away the words of Sylvia Plath and the face of Joker, but he grinned down her, as if in approval of her toeing the line of madness. As he said, one bad day, that was all it took, and Eva had had several bad days.


	29. Bone Powder

She rode out the migraine for a few hours. It was like her body had had it with the bottling up of her conscience. It was as if she'd swallowed a ton of poison and her body was purging. She could see the man from the club, his watering blood twined eyes screaming for mercy, his gagging played over and over again in her head. Eva could have done something, she could have refused to play Joker's game. She could have screamed and maybe Batman would have shown up. It was very possible that he monitored the Iceberg Lounge, it did have a reputation and was run by a reformed Rogue.

If she had done things differently, that man would be alive. If she had just let Joker blow up her shop, she could have survived, she could have started over, and Joker would have been a nightmare that faded with time. Running a hand through her hair, Eva rubbed her temples in the hopes of soothing the ever present pain. Her hands began to stray, moving down to her thigh. Pulling up the pant leg she traced the black studded J. This was fucking insane, she had been so stupid in convincing herself that she'd be able to get out this situation. She was either going to die with sound mind, or live only to be committed to Arkham. There was no getting out of this with her life and sanity. Her fingernails dug into the black stiches, she began to pluck them lick guitar strings until they sang and stung. Grimacing, she dug her nails into her thigh, leaving behind crescent marks, Joker hadn't been in her life more than a week and she was already losing it "Guess that's what happens when you kill a person."

Slowly, the migraine began to dissipate, as if caused by her admission. Eva's shoulder's fell, and her hands unclenched. It felt oddly sedative, almost Zen, this admission. His words surfaced, she recalled the way his lips quirked and the way his eyes seemed to glow with a mixture of pride and pity _'Yes, the first time is always the hardest.'_

Tears started to spill from her eyes again _'Oh, oh, no more tears. You did great.'_

She really did kill him, even if she hadn't pulled the trigger. All action against that guy had led to his death, his fate had been decided by her, the admission hissed past her lips, hushed by her revelation "I-I did kill him."

The migraine was gone now, as if banished by her words. A grateful sigh escaped her lips, the world around her had ceased its spinning, Plath's words no longer hung in the air like acrid smog. This was easier, the pain was less, the sickness of guilt was gone. How could she think this way? Being alone with her thoughts was beginning to take negative effect. Eva use to talk to Marni about everything when she was having a difficult time, but this isolation was making it difficult, almost impossible to sort through all this mess. She obviously couldn't ring Marni up. Jesus, that would be one messed up conversation. Smirking, Eva recited it out in her head "Hey Marni, so I got roped into doing work for Joker, yeah that Joker. Well anyway, he's gotten obsessive, and he's been pulling all these head games and shit…. He killed that guy at the bar, and I'm pretty sure it's my fault, any advice?"

Shit fuck, that came off worse than she had first imagined. Joker was right, Marni wouldn't be capable of sticking with her after Eva divulged the shit that she was waist deep in. Hell, she'd probably go to the cops or even… Eva swallowed the cutting lump in her throat, she could go to Batman. He wasn't exactly known for the genteel treatment of criminals, even those who were nothing more than pawns. Like everyone in Gotham, Eva had watched the news enough to see the calling card of Batman being more than some light shining into the smog of the city. His real calling card was composed of broken bones, shattered knee caps, caved in eye sockets, and mental trauma. He never killed the criminals he came into contact with, but it wasn't below him to beat on them, at least to point where a couple bones had been reduced to a very fine powder. Such thoughts made Eva feel queasy, not with guilt, but with fear. She was in deep with the Joker, it wasn't enough to be arm candy designated, but it was enough to where the cops and Batman would no longer see her the victim of unfortunate circumstance. At this point, she was a possible low level accomplice.


	30. Admission

Eva ran her fingers through her hair and gripped it at the roots, in the vanishing of her guilt the fear of Batman had set in. If she had killed someone, then surely Batman would come looking for her, hell, he could be looking for her this very minute. For any law abiding citizen, Batman was a hero and someone that could be approached for protection. Eva didn't have that luxury anymore, he wouldn't protect her. Hell, she'd probably need protection from Batman. For the first time in a while Eva felt herself laughing a good honest laugh as the tears welled up in her eyes. She continued to yank harder on her hair until small strands began to come loose between her fingers.

Slowly, she sat up from her hunched position. Glancing out the window, she realized that it had become pitch black outside. The fear welled up again, like blood rushing to a fresh gash. Suddenly, the door to her apartment creaked open. Shooting up, she snatched up the floor lamp and clutched it like a weapon, in the process she tore the cord from the jack in the wall. It threw the apartment into darkness. Eva couldn't see who had entered, terror hissed to her 'It's Batman, he's found you…'

Fearful tears rolled down her cheeks as a sob tore through her lips. The sound of footsteps gave away how close the intruder was "What do you want?"

The intruder said nothing, but she heard him draw closer. Gritting her teeth, Eva brought the lamp over her head, ready to strike. When she caught the outline of the intruder's head, she brought it down. Before it could be driven home, a pale hand shot out and caught it "Jumpier than usual sweetheart?"

Eva's eyes widened, and her grip slackened on the lamp. In the dim glow of the street lamps outside, she caught the telltale glint of Joker's silver capped teeth as he smiled at her. It was then that her knees buckled and she felt into a fit of shivering in front of him. With a well contained smirk, Joker placed the lamp upright and knelt down "Oh, shh, shhh doll…Shhhh, Daddy's here."

Much to his glee, Eva allowed him to hold her. There was no fighting on her part, if anything she relaxed into his embrace. She cried freely into his shoulder as his fingers laced into her hair "Now, what's got you all afraid sweetheart?"

Pushing her back, he gripped her chin and forced her to look him directly in the eyes. Her hazel hues were hooded and watered down. Running a thumb just below her eyes, he smiled at her "Common, you can tell ol' Mister J what's troubling you…"

Her arms wrapped around him as she fully and willingly embraced him. He barely caught her hurried whisper "I thought you were him… I thought you were Batman."

It seemed that she was starting to settle on the idea that she was isolated, not even Batman was safe. Chuckling, Joker pulled her back again "Oh Eva, my poor little Eva. It's alright…"

She relaxed in his embrace, a quiet sigh of relief whispered past her lips. He drew her closer until his mouth rested beside her ear "Now why would Batsy… wanna hurt you?"

He knew exactly why she was afraid, why the very thought of the Bat had turned her into a complete mess. Pulling back, he watched as she pursed her lips and then gritted her teeth. Oh, she had admitted to herself, but admitting it to him was another step down. The silenced stretched out from seconds into minutes "Admitting your sins, makes it better sweetheart."

Her eyes swiveled and finally settled on his. Smiling, he giggled "Common, I know you wanna say it…"

Eva's head dipped until Joker was looking at her forehead, she hissed "I'm a murderer."

Cocking his head a few inches, Joker laughed as he caught her eye "Wha, what was that, didn't catch that…?"

The hazel seemed to harden like stone for a second, a bit of the old Eva rearing as if ready to start rebelling. Joker raised a nonexistent eyebrow for the fraction of a second, but the submission returned and her eyes glazed over "I killed someone."

He leaned back with a theatrical sigh, bringing her with him "Ahhh, see, now doesn't that make you feel better?"

Sitting upright, he pressed his forehead to hers and watched as her tears snaked down her cheeks and settled into the nape of her neck. Eva grit her teeth and the hardness returned to her eyes. She glared at him and hissed "I hate you."

He smirked, pulling her closer to him to the point where the pressure on her forehead was reminiscent of the migraine from hours ago "I know."

Eva's fingers dug into her knees "That's some serious art you got on your door."

Her eyes stayed fixed on his, she caught the hint of anger at the threat she had sprayed on the front door "You gotta think… About this stuff…"

He knotted his fingers into her hair and touched his nose to hers "Cause what if the Bat saw it?"

Joker pecked her on the nose and then head butted her. It was hard enough to knock her back. Straddling her, Joker forced her arms up over her head "Now! I told ya!"

He aimed a blow to her stomach "I like it when you fight!"

Eva gritted her teeth in order to hold back the urge puke. He grabbed her chin and forced to look straight forward and at him "But you…"

He slapped her across the face "Do not!"

Another slap "Threaten me!"


	31. Robin

Her lip split again and blood began to trickle into her mouth, dyeing her teeth a light shade of rusted red. Eva's breath hissed through her teeth, she had ceased her struggling. All she could do was stare up at him as he exacted his rage. A soft buzzing began to fill her ears, reminiscent of a tattoo machine, it was as if it softened the intensity of the blows. The sound retained a numbing quality and Eva road it until the hitting subsided.

Once it stopped, she licked her lips of the blood and continued to stare at Joker. This was not the first time that she had been close enough to take in the detail of his eyes. They were cut glass, empty and cold. They held no true emotion, if anything they mimicked the feelings of others. It was unnerving and snaring, in that moment, Eva found that she couldn't look away from him. Even as the blood from her lip soaked into her tongue, and her body relinquished a dull ache. Pain was no longer a side effect of Eva being in his presence. At this point, it was becoming a state of being. Smirking, Joker caressed her cheek and ran his thumb over her split lip "You, you think I like hitting you?"

She blinked slowly, lethargically after a minute of silence, Eva nodded. He liked hurting people, it was probably the only way he could feel. It brought the sane down to his level, it was the only way he seemed capable of communicating. Licking his lips, he brought his head down to her and pressed his forehead to hers "You're right…"

He giggled like a child and pecked her on the lips. The action received no response, no retaliation. His eyes bore into hers and it was then Eva realized that she was still wearing her ratty bathrobe. Her eyes wandered as she took in Joker's position, but they remained half lidded, feigning disinterest. Taking note of this, Joker ran a free hand up her bare leg, it slowed and came to rest on the outer part of her thigh until his fingers tapped on the black laced J. Eva looked back up at him, her mouth twitched as he brought his hand further up her thigh, until his was caressing her bare hip "Such beautiful skin."

His fingers brushed deliberately across her navel. Eva's heart began to race, but she kept still and focused her attention on the glass irises that cracked in a challenging smirk "I never liked the idea of tattoos… I mean…Hehe!"

He threw out his other hand as he sat astride her "You don't see ink on Adonis…!"

Bringing his hand back down to her cheek, his other hand moved upward from her navel "You wouldn't graffiti the work of Francis Bacon or Rick Barto. They're perfection…."

He purred as his lips ghosted across hers. Eva was familiar with the work of Bacon, his paintings were gruesome, haunting in their graphic nature. She did not doubt that Barto (an artist that was unfamiliar to her) would be any different. Joker's hand continued on its path up her body until his fingers rested in the valley between her breasts. It felt like Eva's heart was beating hard enough to shatter the bones of her rib cage. He smiled down at her, knowing exactly how scared she was. He stroked the flesh between her breasts down to her navel. Had the sensation been imparted by a partner that Eva had consented to, it might have been considered sensual, but she refused to allow herself that area of mental asylum "Then, why do you want tattoos?"

At long last, Eva had found her voice. It came out hushed, cracking around the edges. Joker paused his strokes and then withdrew his hand. Eva breathed freely as he rolled over and splayed himself on the floor next to her, he extended his arm and pulled her to him until her head rest on his chest. Nestling his face into her hair, he took a deep breath "Ahh, remember Bird boy?

Eva had to think for a minute, she couldn't recall any particular heroes with that name. Suddenly it hit her "You're talking about Robin?"

She had heard the stories, hell, she'd seen the kid a couple times. Eva caught glimpses of a red suited teenager traversing the fire escapes a few blocks from her apartment. Sightings had grown nonexistent a while ago, rumor had it that something horrible happened to him. Joker rubbed her arm "Annoying little shit, no respect, no class!"

Eva's hands became shaking fists as realization dawned on her. So something worse than horrible had happened to that kid "You killed him?"

He laughed, his teeth catching the light from the street lamps outside "Taught him a lesson in manners! And BOOM!"

Joker clapped his hands and continued to laugh. Eva closed her eyes and took a shaky breath "Oh Eva, Evelina, sweet cheeks, you should have seen it!"

She could see it, Eva had enough of an imagination to create an entire scene. Robin, Batman's sidekick, a fucking kid, tied up, his body broken and bloody. An explosion of flames and an ear shattering blast consuming him "And, Bats, oh Bats wasn't too pleased with me…"

He turned and flashed his silver capped teeth at her "Put me in a body cast for 6 months."

Eva had heard about that, Joker's lack of activity last year had been noticed by the media. Though, the pursuit of truth wasn't enough for them to push getting into Arkham in order to see what become of the city's top gangster. Not to mention the fact that the sudden ornamentation of Joker's teeth hadn't gone unnoticed "So that's what happened to your teeth."

She couldn't stop herself from stating the obvious fact, if anything it gave her a feeling of joy knowing that Joker had received a lasting punishment for killing a child. The smile vanished for a second. He eyed her "Haven't smiled an honest smile since he….Knocked em out."

He pulled her closer and planted a kiss on her forehead "Then I found you!"

Curse that fucking day "The way your draw mouths, perfection!"

Joker forced her to look at him as he pressed his forehead to hers "You can give me a new smile. Won't be the real thing, but it'll do."

Eva grit her teeth as his fingers danced on the smiling lips of Conrad Veidt that ran the expanse of her lower arm. She cringed as he brought her arm up and kissed the ink up to her shoulder until he reached her lips. He forced his lips onto her hers and refused to remove them until she accepted and responded to his affections. All this went on while his hand reached for the trademark J that he has cut into her skin. His fingernails dug into the stitches, and he strummed and plucked at the surgical thread. Even in the wake of affection, he was punishing her, as if he knew that she had internally thought he deserved having his perfect teeth knocked out.

(Author's Note: Happy Thanksgiving to all of my faithful and lovely readers. No matter how you spend it, either with family and friends, or quietly as an evening to yourself, I hope the holiday finds you well. Tonight after I get back from a work meeting about pie pick up protocol (I work in a bakery/café so you can imagine what that will be like the day before Thanksgiving), I'll come home and get started on making an Bailey's Irish Cream pie.)


	32. Molasses Vomit

Finally, his eyes settled on hers. Drinking in the fear and relishing in the hatred. Joker seldom saw that emotion in his toys. True, fear was a common occurrence. Yet the hatred that shone in Eva's eyes was unique. Most did not possesses enough hate to let it dance with the well placed terror they regarded him with. Smirking, Joker stopped playing with her stiches and instead caressed her cheeks. "No one hates like you do…"

He ran a thumb along her lower lip "It really is…..A stunner how much you can hate."

She blinked and grit her teeth "You make it easy."

Joker pouted "You're just so… cruel."

Her upper lip curled in disgust as he brought a finger under her chin. His teeth glittered as his mouth stretched open to reveal the bejeweled reminders of one of his worst crimes. Chuckling, he licked them, creating a more iridescent shine. Eva stared at them, she always knew Joker to be one of the worst criminals to plague Gotham, yet she never imagined him capable of killing a child, even one that was Batman's protégé.

Thinking about it now and taking in the glee with which he spoke on the subject, Eva could see him doing much worse, so much worse. She felt sick to her stomach at the thought as Joker pulled her closer and rested his lips next to her ear. She felt the metal of his teeth brush her lobe as he nibbled on the infinity loop that ran through her cartilage "Penny for your thoughts?"

She shuddered and everything inside her screamed for her to keep quiet, but the statement had burst from her lips before Eva had the chance to call them back "You're going to rape me."

Eva was no stranger to sexual assault, she had been a causality of a broken system. Joker smirked "You. Are. Dark."

That did not answer her question, if anything it made her feel worse. It brought her back to the days where she had been made to sit in a dark room and was told to shut her eyes with the tears running like leaking faucets, hands monstrously big and awful wandered over gaunt body with no intention of obeying boundaries. Joker stared at her for the longest time, as if he could see all the horrors she experienced at the hands of the so called foster father that abused the system, had abused her. "There were two, weren't there?"

She blinked a few times before replying, it was disturbing how he knew who she was thinking about. Eva tried for a moment to pull away from his grasp, but Joker locked his hands and kept her in place "See, I found an obituary for another diddler daddy of yours, Chester Harris."

Eva stared up at the ceiling as she spoke "He wasn't a fit guy… Had a stroke after I left."

Joker snarled and squeezed her arms "I."

His grip tightened, laying out more bruises into the pre-existing damages "Told you, that I don't like liars…"

Smirking, he ran a finger along the length of her arm where he had grabbed her "Tell ol' Joker what ya did…."

Turning, she eyed him. Then, with no further force on the Joker's part, a life-long secret (one that she had intended to take to grave) spilled from her lips like boiling molasses. "Complete fat ass, didn't exercise, all Mrs. H's food was slathered in lard…."

The words rolled off her with a great deal of disgust. The woman knew no other way to cook, except frying because Mr. Harris refused to eat anything but greasy disgusting shit smothered in fat. Eva remembered how her body had responded to the extreme amount of grease, As a teenager, she used to throw up dinner or it came out from the other end. Either way, she was severally dehydrated and even sickly through most of her time at the Harris house. "Before I told his wife was he was doing, he suffered a really bad heart attack, followed by a stroke."

Joker's eyes seemed to light up a little, as if he could sense the confession that was coming. "She left me alone with him while she spoke to the Doctor."

Gritting her teeth, the secret slipped from her lips. It was like vomiting the way she felt, divulging this long kept secret. Her body shook with every word as they rushed from her mouth accompanied by a bad case of cold sweats, but it was like all the poison in her body was being purged. In this confession, Eva felt a sense of relief. "I removed his breathing mask, he couldn't move but I saw his eyes, they were wide, screaming. I don't think I breathed the entire time I held his eyes in mine, and I didn't look away until they dulled. I didn't even give the mask back till was I was sure, absolutely certain, that he was dead."

Slowly, her eyes slid to meet Joker's. He had this strange look in his eyes, something near impossible to describe or even understand. "After he died…"

Joker smirked "You mean after you killed him?"

Eva nodded numbly "I told Wilma what he'd been doing… She back handed me, her wedding ring left a scar…"

Turning, she lifted a fringe of hair that hung over the upper half of her right cheekbone. It had been a rather tacky ring, a large stone, probably QZ, but it left its mark. The scar was white and risen slightly, small in size and only noticeable when pointed out. Joker's brushed a finger over it, his eyes darted to meet her "Then ya ran back home to your mama's blood stain?"

Eva shook her head "At the next house…."

Blinking back a few ill placed tears, she found herself relaxing into Joker's hand as he stroked the wedding ring scar. "It didn't— It didn't feel right… and I panicked."

Slowly, a smirk came to life on her lips "I ran after that, therapist had a field day with where the police found me."

A thoughtful twitch of the lips killed the smirk "He was convicted of filming kiddie porn a year after."

(Author's Note: I apologize for taking so long to update. It's been a rather busy couple of months. Work got a little busy due to the holidays, and then the election happened. I try not to be political, but it was a huge blow to my mental health. I got really depressed for a few weeks, made it hard to write and sleep, I lost a lot of sleep and could only get a full night after crying myself to sleep. I worried about losing many of my rights and protections as a bisexual woman, I was scared of whether or not I could afford to have health insurance. I'm still very scared for my friends who might be targeted by ICE. Let's just say, I cried a lot these last few months. Once I pulled away from that, I started to focus a lot of my attention on writing my original work, mostly poetry in the political and social set. As well as working on a novel I am trying to write on the subject of Selkies in the modern world. Anyway, long story short, I'm sorry I kept you all waiting for so long. I'm trying to get back into writing this story if only because I know you readers really look forward to my updates. Thank you for the encouragement…. And even though I don't know you all personally, know that you are loved and wanted in this world even when people are telling something different.)


	33. 22 Acacia Avenue

Pressing his forehead to hers, Joker locked eyes with her. His gaze seemed so intense, yet it asked for nothing but submission. Eva looked back, almost lethargic. He pecked her nose, leaving a small trace of red behind "Had you figure for the twisted…"

His thumb pressed hard against the decade old scar "It's a—a gift, the second I laid eyes on you…."

He tapped his nose "I knew you were, damaged."

Eva did not look away from him, but instead set her gaze "Everyone's damaged."

Smirking, he shook his head "Ah, but so many just submit, they shatter with no… Bravado! You? When you finally break?

He pressed his lips to the scar and whispered "It'll be like a bomb going off in a church. Everyone screaming to God why he did nothing, the singed corpses of children and old crones scattering the pulpit. The preacher, screaming while blood gushes out of his ears…When you break, you'll tear through everything and everyone."

Eva shivered at his words, at this point she could no longer differentiate between that being a feeling of the negative or the positive. Yet, she found herself unable to smirk or sneer, she could only stare at the wall over his shoulder. Her mind a blank as her fingers clawed for a second. His breath tickled along her neck, teeth grazed the skin, then he bit down hard and fast. Eva flinched but otherwise, didn't move. Remaining perfectly still, her mind picked up where it had derailed. She had never felt so light up until now, for so many years she had lugged that secret around on her shoulders. Not daring to tell anyone, even Marni, for fear of losing everything she had come to gain in her life. It had weighed like 100 cinder blocks on her shoulders. All that had vanished, she had never told anyone what she had done, and Joker had accepted it, even suspected it. It did not bother him, or make him hate her. If anything, it excited him. In this moment, Eva felt a cool wave of relief crash over her. It rocked her this way and that, the feeling was so foreign, it scared her.

Slowly, she relaxed. Every muscle came undone with this single thought 'maybe he understood.' Feeling the knots of her body give, Joker smiled to himself. Giving her cheek a stroke, and planting his red lips to her forehead. His lips trailed down, until they rested on hers. He growled and took control, without a thought of a care in the world, Eva rode that feeling of lightness into the void. In that moment, her will and defiance came crashing down.

It had been a long night, composed on so many things that Eva would wake to be ashamed of. Somehow they had moved from the living room floor into her bedroom. When the sun flecked its way through the mangled curtains of Eva's bedroom, the beams winked at the crescent scars that dotted her skin like warped freckles. The light revealed the angry red claw marks that graced the length of body, and then rested on the teeth marks and vicious hickeys that charted a course from her legs to her inner thighs. The overall soreness was what caused Eva to stir, the feeling of heat on her cheek was what made her open her eyes. They widened to the size of plates when she took in the pale torso of her bed fellow. Slowly, she turned her head and held back the urge to scream. In her sleep, she had forgotten, but awake she could recall every single vivid detail. The brutalization, the hits to the face, the way he rode her raw and to eventual tears. What stirred the urge to puke was the fact that she loved every minute of it.

What was insane was the fact that he looked so human right now. She had never thought this raging narcissistic psychopath, needed sleep. The thought never occurred to her. His chest rose and fell gently beneath her cheek. Eva took note of the tight grip he had, his arm was wrapped possessively about her, his fingers splayed on her lower back. She made an attempt to pull away but found that would involve wrenching it out from under him. For the time being, she was stuck, at least until he woke up. Eva was just about to give into the fact that she was a prisoner in her own bed when her alarm went off. Disrupting the panicked quiet of the room.

"Beat her, mistreat her. Do anything you want to. Bite her, excite her…"

The song played on for a bit, Eva felt her face redden. Last week she had changed her alarm to Iron Maiden because Queen wasn't cutting it on waking her up…. Her phone had been set on random. An incredibly fucked up coincidence. "Make her get down on her knees!"

She couldn't reach her phone to shut off the degrading lyrics. "Abuse her, misuse her!"

Quiet tears started to wet her eyes, what the fuck had she been thinking!? 'Oh right,' Eva thought, 'I wasn't thinking!' That was when she heard and felt a rumble reverberate from his chest. Her eyes swiveled when his fingers laced into her hair and forced her to look up at him. His teeth glittered horribly in the sunlight as he smiled down at her. He dragged her up from his chest, his eyes taking in her every angle. It was there that Eva realized that she didn't even have a bra on. The tears began their decent as he continued to yank at her hair at the roots until she sat astride his stomach. "She can take all that you've got!"

He sat up a little, his eyes locked on hers. Eva's heart went seemed to burst from her chest. "Caress her, molest her!"

His mouth descended on her chest, the cold metal felt like solid clamps on her skin. "No."

Smirking, he continued his vicious explorations, gyrating his hips for friction. Her mind was set on telling him to stop, but her body was at a loss. He was fucking with her, both mentally and physically. "She always does what you want…."

The song fell into a long guitar solo, and Eva realized with those lyrics and the betrayal of her body, she was losing her grip on everything that she had prided herself in. Her independence, her self-control, her fucking sense of reality. It was slowly disintegrating in the span of a single night where she couldn't keep herself from feeling vulnerable. She was in every sense of the word, fucked.

(Author's Note: So, I'm sure some of you are a bit upset that I did not include a long detailed description of Joker and Eva's sexual interactions…. I made this choice because there is risk of over-romanticizing the interactions. I will say, that yes, the sex was good, but it wasn't done with the action of love, more as a tool of control.)


	34. Let Go

The following days passed uneventfully. Eva had all but locked herself in her room, she couldn't bring herself to shower, dress, shop, go to work, or even talk to Marni on the phone properly. She had called in sick at the parlor, claiming that she had mono. Marni dropped by once or twice, but Eva didn't bother to answer the door. Frantic text messages were the only way the two communicated. She was worried, Eva knew that. Yet, she had no desire to face her after what she had done. Eva had fucked enough guys (and a few women) that she wasn't proud of. Like any average person, with a healthy appetite for sex, she had regrets. This, horror, wasn't just your run of the mill _"I sucked a guy's cock and he didn't even return the favor_ " it was more like " _I gave full emotional and physical access of myself to a fucking psychopath, and I even enjoyed it, what does this say about me as a person? Am I like him, are we alike, am I losing it, have I already lost it!?"_

It was Friday, the day before Joker's appointment, and Eva was in bed, eyes trained at the ceiling. She traced out the patterns that rose and fell in the cheap popcorn style paint. Her phone buzzed continually in the background, Marni had become relentless in her efforts to contact her. At this point, the tattooist could no longer bring herself to darn a vocal mask in order to assure her sanity to her only friend. There were points in the last few days where she tried to speak while staring at the mess in the mirror, but vocal cords rebelled and relinquished a rasp of words that couldn't even be strung together to form a coherent sentence. Still, Eva turned in her bed and eyed the picture of her giggling friend, she couldn't hold Marni off forever. Maternal instincts would result in her calling the cops, and that would risk her current standing with him. Slowly, she reached for the phone and answered "Hello?"

"What the fuck Eva?"

She had to admit, it was a shock that Marni wasn't screaming at her. Her voice came across the line, gentle and angry. Eva couldn't bring herself to say anything at that point, but stagnant tears creeped from her eyes "You're avoiding me."

It wasn't a question, it was a statement, it was the truth. Eva realized that she couldn't weave another pretty lie "Yeah."

The admission came at a hiss, like cooking meat. Marni was silent for a minute, mulling over that single word "Why?"

Pressing a hand to her mouth, Eva stifled the sob that wanted so badly to tear from her throat. Marni was hurt, scared and worried for her "Please, tell me what's going on with you."

Hands dropped between her legs, she was sitting at the edge of her bed. She couldn't do it, she couldn't bring herself to drag Marni into this. Joker would find out, he'd break her, he'd kill her. He would make Eva watch. Hearing her voice call from the ground, she looked down. Must have dropped the phone "Eva?"

She needed to keep her away, at this point Marni was the only family she had in the world "Marni, I'm in trouble."

Silence followed, hollow and somehow bloated. It left her nauseous. It was a phrase that the pair hadn't uttered since childhood. In those days, trouble meant lifting some money from their foster mom, maybe stealing a pack of smokes from the drug store. It meant menial juvenile wrongs, but wrongs that might inspire the system to tear the pair apart "Ok"

Licking her lips, Eva chuckled through the tears "No, not Ok. Marni, I'm _in_ trouble, I'm eyes deep in shit creek without a fucking boat, I am in that much trouble."

A shaking breath came over the line "It-it can't be that bad, common Eva…?"

"It _is_ that bad."

More silence, more disgustingly bloated silence "Marni, I'm sorry, I am so sorry I let this happen."

"You sound like you're gonna shut me out."

She was good, Eva had to admit. If she had actually gone to university instead of beauty college, she would have made a great therapist. Taking a deep breath, Eva nodded and affirmed her suspicion "No, no, I'm not letting you do that!"

Before Marni had to chance at a rebuttal, Eva hung up and proceeded to block her best friend's number. Next, she took to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and blocked her there. Tears struck the screen, creating pixelated rainbows. Suddenly, there was a pounding on her front door. Eva slowly made her way out of her bedroom, eyeing the door as it shook. It was probably Joker, it was then that the tumblers of the lock turned and the door flew open. Marni stood there, her eye make-up smeared against her flushed cheeks, which were wet with angry tears. Shit, "It's a guy isn't it!? You left the club early, Deluca said you looked like you went through 20 wringers and then got your ass kicked again? Who is this asshole!?"

Marni was shrieking at this point as she slammed the door and grabbed Eva by the arms. She took in the bruises and the angry welts on her face, the purpling hand shaped mark on her neck. Her eyes dropped to the horror show of trauma around her legs and thighs "Eva, please, just tell me who this fucker is! We'll call the police, fuck, Batman might be an option…!"

She wasn't letting go. Shaking, Eva matched her volume "Joker!"

It was then that her best friend let go, as if the very mention of his name sent a shock through her. Eva stared at her, bringing her arms up and cradling herself, she could feel it, she was going to lose Marni forever. Bending over, doing her best to ignore the pain that rocked her body, Eva pulled up the fabric of her shorts. The J stood out against the wrecked chrysanthemum. "It was the Joker."

(Author's Note: So, Eva is bi curios, who knew? I honestly didn't until I found myself writing it. So there you go.)


	35. Dry Wall

Marni eyed the bruising and scars along Eva's thighs. She could feel the next question as her lower lip jutted out, she was angry, but not at her. "Did he...?"

Her voice faltered, the word refused to leave her mouth. Eva felt sick, the very fact that he hadn't was the worst thing she'd have to admit "No..."

This didn't seem to be enough "Eva-"

She shook her head and finally collapsed into the couch " He didn't rape me..."

She still wouldn't believe her "Are you kidding? Eva, look at yourself! That's not 'some like it rough' that's straight up beating!"

She fitted her hand around the bruise on her neck and grimaced "I threw a paper weight at him..."

At this, she nodded to the hole in her wall "Marni, he threatened you."

She saw the fear flash in her friend's eyes. Here it came, the moment Joker had predicted... The moment that would be the only way to keep her only friend safe. "He made me torture someone..."

Her face turned a light shade of green, and Eva took it as her cue to continue "Do you remember that guy from the lounge, the one that tried to drug me?"

Marni remained silent but nodded numbly. Taking a deep breath, Eva allowed the words to pour out "I killed him…"

Her eyes widened for a moment, and then she began to shake her head "I don't believe you."

Marni swallowed the lump in her throat "Eva, I know you. You'd never kill anyone."

Gritting her teeth, Eva's eyes shut. "You don't know me Marni."

Slowly, she took another breath and opened her eyes, a smile broke on her lips. They ached horribly, he liked to bite. Eva began to giggle "Holy shit Marni, you don't know me at all."

Getting up, she walked towards her, mimicking the languid movements that made him seem so intimidating "You want to know a secret?"

She got into her face, the smile ever present. Marni was scared and Eva felt terrible that she was the one who inspired it "Wanna know why we met?"

A chuckle bubbled from her lips "I one of my foster fathers."

At long last, Marni stepped back, toward the door. Eva remained where she was "He had a stroke, he needed the machines to breath. Only took a few minutes."

"I don't believe you."

The words came out at a whisper "I don't even regret it."

Eva shrugged as she began to pick at the dry bits of blood on her face, her eyes darted towards Marni. She looked terrified now as she began to process. The tattooist stepped closer, forcing her friend to back up until she hit the wall next to the front door "Nothing made me happier than to watch that sick fuck die."

Licking her lips, and rolling her head back, she smiled lazily. Just do everything he did to intimidate, it always worked coming from him. It had to work now, Eva had always been a good actor, it was par for the course in an abuse fueled system. "And I'd do it again, I would kill that bastard over and over again."

Marni was terrified, her normally heavily lidded eyes were wide. The white reflected the lights of the apartment, making the action all the more striking. She never thought she would be afraid of Eva, Marni had trusted her through the better part of her childhood. They had relied heavily on one another, secrets had never been a factor, until now. The very idea and admission that Eva had been keeping secrets from her had left Marni petrified. In all the years that they had been friends, she had been conveniently leaving things out.

Slowly, Marni reached out her hand and grasped the door knob, ready to leave. Then she looked into Eva's eyes, and saw the barest trace of desperation. The pair stared at each other for the longest time. At long last, Eva blinked and looked away "You should go."

Marni's grip on the knob slackened. Despite her fear, she couldn't just abandon the woman who had been like a sister to her "Eva?"

Her shoulders tensed as she spun around and let her left fist go careening into the dry wall. Pain shot up her arm from where she had made contact, for a second she worried about hitting stud, but she was too angry to maintain that level of concern for her wellbeing. Her head cocked a fraction of an inch and she stared at Marni "Get out."

Within seconds, her one and only friend was gone. Eva pulled her fist from the wall, eyeing the few scrapes that dotted her knuckles. Glancing into the hole she noted how close she had come to breaking her first onto the wall stud. Her lips trembled, cradling her fist, Eva made the slow trek to the bathroom, she needed a shower. Maybe if she stood under the shower head and angled her head just right, she could drown herself. After all, that's how sheep did it, and at this point she was convinced that she was on their level of stupidity.

(Author's note: So amid most of the praise for my "sex" chapter with Joker, I did get one hater who was not pleased with the fact that I didn't sexualize the ever loving shit out a clearly abusive relationship, yeah, fuck you, I'm not doing that. I see enough young girls squeeing or Leto Joker (and I did my fair share with Heath Ledger…shut up), and how they want a relationship like Joker and Harley Quinn, and it's like wanting a relationship like Romeo and Juliet, it's incredibly screwy and weird relationship to idolize when Joker and Harley regularly kick the crap out of each other. This is not a relationship of love, it is one of obsession and control. If you want unrealistic smut, there are plenty of fanfics that feed your unhealthy sexual fantasy. And if those don't tickle you, then go write your own story kiddo.

Anyway, looks like Eva has managed to push Marni away, and Eva has some serious anger issues. I feel I must also mention that I had to look up "What's it like to punch dry wall" for this chapter. Being a writer is fucking weird, I'll tell ya what.

Oh and final note, someone messaged me wanting to see my original work. So here is one of my poems. You guys might not be into it, but whatever)

An old woman got on the bus  
She smelled of opiates,  
Opiates and butterscotch.  
It was then I learned the scent of Death.  
It was then Death and I became acquainted.  
It was there that the woman dropped,  
And Death stopped kindly for her  
When no one else would.  
When no one else would  
He took her in his arms.  
When no one else would  
He cradled her injuries.  
And when no one else could  
He took away her pain.


	36. Dragons

The days seemed to blur as they went by. She couldn't handle being alone in her apartment anymore, so Eva went to work. But she could barely remember the hours spent on her clients' tattoos. Luckily that did not affect the quality of her work seeing that no one came back with complaints after the natural morphine of their bodies wore off. Joker did not turn up in her apartment in the days following up to their session, much to Eva's relief. He did not stick around very long after they woke up in bed together and rode out the previous night's fuck session until the late afternoon. She wasn't sure if she could handle speaking to him, not after losing Marni because of him.

At long last, the night of the session was here. Eva was at the shop and in the process of shuffling her last normal client out the door along with an employee. It took a bit of prodding to get Chris to go home, he and his girlfriend had a fight the night before and he was in no hurry to leave. "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."

Chris groaned "Come on Eva, we could order a pizza or something. Silvia's been sending me rage texts all afternoon."

With a shove, his boss sent him out the door "Man up Chris, face your demons… In this case demon."

Chris pouted but dragged his feet to the old junker of a pickup. Smirking, Eva waved and watched as he pulled out and drove away. Heaving a sigh, she spun and began to prep her station for the long night ahead. Snatching an apple from her book bag, Eva tore into it with ferocity while she started printing out all the stencils and setting up the ink. Shoving the fruit in her mouth, reminiscent of a suckling pig, she collected her art pad along with the stencils and piled them up next to the chair that Joker would occupy for the next 8 or so hours.

Grabbing her desk chair, she took a seat and started to make herself a playlist. Doing her best to choose music that would set her at ease. No 22nd Acacia Avenue, nothing that would remind her of the night she spent with him. Eva was in the process of pulling her hair back and forcing it into a ratty bandana when she heard a knock on the glass of the door. Turning, she found Joker leaning against the door frame, he smiled and eyed the lock on the door. Taking the apple core off her desk she tossed it as she walked towards him, keys in hand. Taking a deep breath, Eva let him in.

Joker forced the door open, without waiting for an invitation to come inside. It was like the first time they met. Only this time he took it a step further, he reached around and grabbed her by the hair and yanked it so that she would look up. He then pressed his red coated lips against hers. Eva's eyes shot open in terror as he shoved his tongue into her mouth, she could taste the metal of his teeth and something reminiscent of marinara. Chuckling against her lips, Joker let go and watched as the tattooist stumbled back and glared at him. It was best not to show her anger and embarrassment, he liked that shit, it gave him more power "So I won't be ordering pizza tonight, seeing that you had Italian."

Joker laughed and followed her towards her station. Frost came through the door and went to take a seat in the waiting area, quiet and loyal as ever. It was beyond Eva how someone as loyal and stoic as Frost could have bequeathed his services to someone like the Joker. Shaking her head at the thought, Eva picked up the sketches and stencils and handed them to Joker. "I did what I could, with what you gave me, pick the ones you like and where you want them."

He went through them, discarding some while approving the rest. The amount he wanted was as Eva had predicted, it was ridiculous and she had no doubt that he would want them all at once. Joker finished but there was an air of dissatisfaction on his face. Eva backed up a little "I want a dragon."

Eva blinked "I haven't done dragons in a long time."

This was true, dragons weren't exactly a focus for her anymore. Ever since she brought DeLuca in, he'd been the one with the affinity for dragons. Her answer didn't seem to appease Joker though. Taking a deep breath, Eva put on her best face "How big?"

He put up and finger and then gestured for Frost to come over. The hulking bastard seemed to carrying a container of some sort. Joker opened it and pulled out a large flayed piece of flesh. Eva schooled her expression and did her best not to puke up the apple she had just eaten. She recognized the work, it was indeed hers and one of the few dragon pieces that she had been proud of. The client had been a small timer of the Yakuza, before Black Mask took over after the gang wars decimated the Gotham sect of the massive criminal organization. The guy had been one of the first criminals that Eva had ever inked, and she was surprised to see that he had lasted long enough to meet the Joker "I wish you wouldn't skin my previous clients."

The words that came out of her mouth were shocking, she was growing numb to Joker's violent actions. When he first did this, the very sight made Eva want to cry and puke at the same time. Now, now she was more concerned with the fact that flesh was dripped blood on her freshly mopped floors.

(Author's Notes: I apologize for my lack of updates. I've been very busy lately. Unfortunately I was fired from my job and I've been in the process of applying for work, filing unemployment, and juggling a slew of interviews. I might get an offer for work on Monday, but I'm not entirely certain. I've also put in a resume with a local tattoo and piercing parlor and they have expressed a desire to contact me should a position open up. I've interviewed with them before, and the co-owner told me that if I ever need a job, to look them up. Anyway, very sorry. Hopefully this unemployment shit will only last a month, minimum.

And some of you might be interested, but I am in the process of working on another Suicide Squad fic, this time with a meta human with and accelerated healing factor. She gets hit by Joker's car and naturally survives, that's all I have to say about that.)


	37. They Call Me Devil

Joker chuckled at her words and motioned for Frost to put the skin back in its container. Eva watched and then crossed her arms "For fuck's sake, that's the second client you've skinned. You keep doing that and you'll be my only customer."

He reached out and placed a hand on her cheek, his thumb grazing the bruises from the other night "Mmm, there ya go, sweet talkin me."

Raising an eyebrow, she stepped back and turned away. Joker's eyes drilled into her as she went to the closet at the back of the building, and collected a mop to clean up the blood. Upon her return, Eva smirked "It's all sweet talkin, but you can't keep killing my income."

Squeezing the bloody water out into the bucket, she turned and kicked the mop bucket towards the wall. Joker stepped towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist "Ah, but I like the idea of having you to myself…"

Eva stiffened. "If it's money you're worried about…"

He rested his chin on top of her head, the next few words coming out as a graveled purr "Daddy'll take care of ya."

The tattooist somehow pull herself away, though she had no clue how she managed that. Taking a step back, she gestured to her station "Take a seat and tell me where you want everything."

The words croaked out of her, making her throat feel raw. Joker was being more affectionate than usual, something she was not use to or comfortable with. It was unpredictable, and it was making her hands shake. Raising a nonexistent eyebrow, he removed his purple leather trench coat and threw it over a nearby chair, the silver silk dress shirt followed. Eva had taken a seat and was in the process of putting on a pair of purple latex gloves. Her eyes went to Joker as he took a seat, unable to stop herself, Eva looked him over carefully. Taking in some of the scars and the muscles of his chest and torso. This did not go unnoticed by Joker, who smiled at her "Like what ya see?"

Looking at him, she kept her expression impassive. Well, she'd be lying if she said otherwise. Still, Eva wouldn't admit that out loud, and it seemed that Joker did not need any verbal verification. Swallowing, the tattooist looked away and pulled out the large "JOKER" print, flashing it at him. Smirking, Joker nodded to his navel. Eva obliged and leaned forward. Peeling the plastic off, she pressed the print to his skin and wetted it with a towel. Slowly, she pulled the paper away, leaving behind a temporary outline.

Leaning back, she looked over its placement. After getting the go ahead from Joker, she flicked the coil machine on, dipped the quill like tip into the black in and got started. He didn't move as the needles pierced his skin. Joker's lack of vocal reaction did not coincide with the light trauma that his body was going through. The paper white nature of his skin made the speckled bits of blood and red irritation stand even more. Eva smirked, it was a small confirmation of the fact Joker was still human even if his head wasn't screwed on all the way. "Somethin…. Ah, ya wanna share with the class sweets?"

Eva glanced up from her position at Joker's navel. She shrugged and turned back to her work, but she couldn't help a chuckle as a bit of blood bubbled up again. This did not satisfy him "Oh come on baby, you can tell Daddy what's on your mind."

His tone had changed a little, growing threatening. Slowly, the tattooist paused her work and muttered "You bleed…"

He cocked is head a fraction of an inch, like a predatory bird sizing up a mouse. Eva looked down "With all the grandiose declarations of being more than just human…. You still bleed like one."

The response to her observation was rather predictable, Joker threw back his head and laughed for a solid minute until his hysterics boiled down to the occasional cackle. Eva eyed him and then grumbled "Keep laughing like that and I'll fuck this up."

Joker giggled a little and winked at her "Do that toots, and Daddy'll have to punish ya."

Why did that excite her, why did that make her heart pound faster, why did it turn her face scarlet? Eva grit her teeth and spun around , bringing up a playlist on her computer. The song opened with some rhythmic clapping.

 _I ain't no angel,  
Don't got no halo_

 _I cut off my wings,  
Made my momma scream  
I'm your darkest dream._

Eva turned around and went back to work on her project, letting the music fill her mind and distract her from the hungry look that Joker was giving her.

 _They call me devil  
My heart is empty  
They call me devil  
Just try and tempt me_

 _I'll steal your soul  
I'll eat you whole  
Ain't no other way_

Joker rolled his head back on the chair and smiled as his body embraced the trauma caused by the tattoo machine. It was a beautiful sensation, despite wearing latex gloves, little Eva had a gentle touch. The needles drove into him 3,000 times a minute, and then she would feather away the excess ink and blood with towel. "You have quite the taste in music sweetness."

She glanced up at him and paused to hear the lyrics better.

 _I will tell you lies  
I'll crawl inside your mind_

 _Grab hold of your eyes  
I will make you mine  
And I'm gonna take my time._

Ignoring the somewhat sexual overture of the lyrics, Eva continued to lay down line after line of ink. "Helps me work."

He reached down and stroked her hair, causing her to freeze

 _They call me Devil!_

Looking at her hands, he brushed his tongue over his teeth and purred "Mmm, I like it when you've got blood on your hands….. Hehe, even when its mine."

 _And you should be afraid!_

(Author's Note: Again, sorry for the long delay. I've been putting in some time writing my other Joker fic, "Survival is a Talent." I also had family in town for several days and was still going through the process of job interviews. I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that I got a job offer…. As a bank teller. Applied on a whim because the guy at the unemployment office wouldn't shut up about it. Anyway, it pays well. I asked for 10.25 and hour and during the interview they said that was a very small amount. I figured I'd be making 12.50 an hour. But then I get the call for an offer and they're telling me I'll be raking in 14 and hour. My first day is the week after next, and then in July I go into the big city to do a couple days of teller training. The bank will pay for food, hotel, and transportation. I'm hoping this works out. I'm having this PTSD thing where I'm freaking out about being fired again.)


	38. Would You Live For Me?

Her heart was going into overkill with how hard it was beating. Eva had never been so frightened, and turned on at the same time. Before Eva could come to her senses, she turned off the tattoo machine, leaned upwards, placing her bare lips on the red of his. The Joker relinquished a growl of pleasure, she just kept climbing deeper, going further down the rabbit hole. Wrapping an arm around her waist, his cold fingers brush under her shirt, skimming against her bare flesh. Eva gasped and pulled away, his eyes bore into hers, as if watching, waiting for her to take the final step into where he was determined to have her.

The gold tints of her irises seemed to catch fire as she looked at him, the dark green rim going black as her eyelids turned heavy with lust. She was panting, like a bitch in heat. Chuckling, Joker grabbed her by the back of the neck and brought her back in. Crashing her lips to his, his metal teeth gnashing at her bottom lip, drawing the barest trace of blood. Eva squeaked in surprise and pain, making to pull away. Laughing, he grabbed the tattoo machine and flicked it on. He held buzzing quill just below the lobe of her right ear. "Would you die for?"

Her chest heaved at the whir of the machine, but Eva could barely turn. Joker shook his head and knotted his fingers into her hair, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "I said… Would you… Die for me?"

The rebellious fire caught in her eyes, turning the green rim acidic. "No"

Eva snarled. Chuckling, Joker pressed the machine tip to her skin, bringing about a whimper at the slight twinge of pain. He was thoughtful for a minute, the blood oozed, mingling with the black of the ink as it blotched the neckline of Eva's shirt. "Hmm, oh Eva, sweetness, so right not to answer that question."

She stared at him, curious. "No, no, dying is too easy…. Would you, live for me?"

He brought her closer, pressing his forehead to hers, waiting for the answer. Eva, in turn observed him. Dying wasn't easy, dying was pain, it was going into the unknown, into a void that could go heaven's light or hellfire on the other side… Or it could only be pitch and a lack of existence or even being aware of the fact that you existed. Living, even if it was for him, it didn't terrify her as much as dying. Slowly, Eva nodded "Yes, yeah I would live for you."

Cracking metal encrusted smile, Joker pressed his smeared lips to her eyes as gouged the skin and left behind a trail of black in the form of a J. Evelina Anton was now tattooed and scarred as his "You know just the words, to make Daddy happy."

He wrenched her further down and licked the J, tasting the metallic of her blood and the oil like flavor of the ink. At long last, he let her up, giving her a swat on the ass. "Mmm, never thought getting tattooed would be, such fun."

Joker eyed her hungrily as she bloated her neck with a baby wipe and sneered at him. Even after she had submitted to him, Eva still tried to maintain some form of independence. Even when she had been beaten and tied down, she still bit the hand that fed her. It amused him, it made watching her creep further down the hole all the more entertaining. Joker licked his lips, still tasting her. What was going to be a long night for Eva, was going to be nothing but games and fun for him.

(Author's Note: yes, sorry I know it's been a while since I've updated and I know this is rather short. Work has been very busy. One of my coworkers in on 2 weeks of PTO so I'm pulling almost 40 hours a week. I'm also getting into Chapter two of an original short novel that I'm working on. Just to let you know, I haven't abandoned this story or my other Joker story. I've just got a lot going on.)


	39. The Smile Returns

It took four hours to complete the large lettering across Joker's abdomen. In any other event, such a simple tattoo would only take an hour and half. However, since this was Joker, he took a great deal of joy in distracting Eva while she worked. The tattooist was still trying to come to grips with having attachments to the clown. As she added the finishing touches to the R, Eva had surmised that she was completely gone as far as logic was concerned.

Nodding his approval, Joker sat up a little and eyed her work. "Such a delicate touch…. I'm, a little disappointed."

Eva smirked as she buzzed the quill of the machine in a cup of water. "Most people prefer that I be gentle."

His glass cut eyes lit up at her words "By all means sweets…"

Glancing up, Eva caught the hungry look in his eyes "Be rough."

Raising an eyebrow, the tattooist shook her head "I'd rather not cause unnecessary pain when I'm working. Especially since your skin is red as a tomato."

Joker sneered and looked at his tattoo "This isn't sex..."

Eva was in the zone now. Being in her place of zen and comfort was granting her the control that she had been craving since Joker walked through the door of the shop. The clown glared at her, only to give way to one of his signature smiles "You weren't complaining the other night."

Gritting her teeth, Eva grabbed for the next print. If he wanted pain, she'd give it to him. Next to come was the large toothy smile. He'd mentioned something about wanting it on his hand. Grabbing for the aforementioned appendage, Eva shackled it in her grip. After laying down the print in the manner he wanted she made him spread his fingers on the table. Nodding her satisfaction, she looked up at him allowing her eyes to harden as she fixed him with the mother of all glares "This one will hurt like a bitch, if you need to cry, don't get it on my work."

Joker sneered at her and then quickly settled, letting out an amused growl. "You wouldn't be enjoying yourself, would ya?"

Eva eyes slid upwards as she kicked on the tattoo machine and dipped the quill into the black ink. "I won't lie, since you hate when I do…"

Leaning in she hissed "But I am enjoying hurting you…"

He purred as the quill buzzed inches from his marble flesh. "Mmmm, getting kinky are we?"

There was nothing kinky about it, Eva knew he was hurting and being the caused her a great deal of satisfaction. Without another word, she drove the quill into his hand, putting more pressure on that needed. A small smile causing her lips to lift just a fraction of an inch, as she gouged Joker's skin, leaving behind a trail of blood and ink.

Time seemed to snail by and Joker was becoming lightheaded and the pain was pushing him to limit. Eva did not speak as she worked on his hand, no matter how much he baited her. Finally, at long last, she turned off the machine and pulled back. Joker sat up and lifted his hand. The skin around the tattoo had become inflamed, it practically glowed neon red. The clown did not care as he surveyed Eva's work. She sat in silence, waiting for his opinion, her lips set into a grim hash across the lower half of her face. Joker giggled and placed his shaking hand over her mouth, replacing the contemplative frown with the bloodied and crazed smile that was now etched into his hand.

His giggle grew in volume, quickly shaping into hysterical laughter. Bringing his hand back, he pressed it to his mouth and whooped with delight. "My smile!"

He stared at her, keeping his hand in place. Eva said nothing, choosing to sit in silence with a smear of ink and blood across her lips. She would wait until he calmed, there was still more work to be done, it wasn't even the AM yet.

(Author's Note: GASP! An Update!... Seriously, I am so sorry that I left this for so long. Work has been crazy, holidays were nuts, and I am trying to find an honest to God full time job, and I was busy planning my two week solo trip to Germany, which is happening in less than 9 months. Also, I got a kitten, his name is Pinot Noir and he is sitting next to me as I type. Anyway, I'm glad to be back and writing. I am determined to finish this fic, I already have several pages written for chapters rather far in the future. I hope that I still have some readers out there.)


	40. Me and the Dragon

The rest of the tattoo session continued without much interruption. More so when Eva made him turn in his chair so that she could get into the outlining of the serpentine dragon that he had been so adamant about. Eva continued to draw pleasure from causing him pain, especially when his freshly inked torso jostled the back of the chair. He was mercifully quiet, at one point the tattooist assumed that he had passed out. Swinging around she caught his eyes, they were wide open as he studied the brick exposed walls of her cubical. He didn't seem to notice her, thankfully.

Wheeling back to her position, Eva continued to jab him with the machine. Pausing only to wipe away the excess ink and blood. Then, finally, at long last, Joker fell asleep, his slowed breaths cluing her in. As if sensing his master's unconsciousness, Frost closed his book and got up. Signaling the end of the session. He would have to come back to shadow and color the dragon. Eva pulled back and shut off the machine.

Frost eyed her carefully, as if prepared for her to pull out her gun. Yet, Eva shrugged and removed her gloves with a decisive snap "He'll need to come in for a second session."

Nodding, the henchman grabbed the Joker's jacket and proceeded to lift him from his seat. Joker woke a little, muttering to Frost and giggling slightly. Eva watched him, disturbed at the overall humanness of his behavior. The trauma caused by the tattooing had made his meek as a kitten, it was messed up. Licking her lips, she grabbed for the bandages and salve from her desk. Putting on a fresh pair of latex gloves, she began to cake the Joker's back in ointment. Frost held him steady, never taking his eyes off the tattooist. The Clown was completely gone at this rate, his head lulling this way and that. "Why do you stay with him, Frost?"

Eva glanced up from her position on the floor. Frost's lips quirked as he contemplated her question "Suppose our reasons for sticking it out are similar…."

Smirking, Eva began to plaster the bandages of Joker's back "You fuck him too?"

Frost snorted in disgust "I'm not a fag."

Eva stepped back and admired her work "Wasn't calling you one, no need to get frosty."

Joker giggled stupidly at her joke. Frost sneered at her for a second, he could see why boss liked her. Her dry sense of humor and overall dark view of things was endearing at best. "We stay because of loyalty…."

She froze at his words. "You've got our wires confused, Frost. At least, you've got mine messed up."

Frost lifted the Joker's arm around his shoulder "Why do you stay huh?"

Eva shot her gloves into the bin. Brushing her hair from her face, she sighed "It makes sense, it's better to pretend you're willing as opposed to the opposite. At least this way, I can live with myself."

There was a moment of silence as Frost played her words over in his head. "It gets easier, kid."

She lurched a little as if ready to be sick. "I know, I don't want it to be."

With a sigh, she turned and crossed her arms. "Have him call tomorrow when he's awake to schedule the next session."

Nodding, Frost and Joker walked out onto the docks. Minutes later, the headlights of their car lit up the shop, throwing Eva's shadow across the interior of her parlor. A few minutes more, and she was finally alone. Glancing over at her station, she took in the mess of ink, towels, and bits of blood. Shaking her head, she walked over to the waiting room and collapsed into the worn leather of the couch. Not long after, a light snoring filled the room, and it continued until bits of light began to stream into through the window.


	41. Wayne's Commission

Eva spent the next morning in the shop. Mostly cleaning up her work area, hiding any evidence of Joker's session. At 12pm, DeLuca walked through the door. He was none the wiser to Eva's late night excursions, even though it was obvious that she hadn't slept much. Wanting to get out of the parlor, Eva volunteered herself to do a doughnut and coffee run. While cleaning, she had found a stack of hundreds tucked in the corner of her Surface. Frost must have put them there when she wasn't looking.

As she got in her car, Eva found herself eyeing the bills. Normally, she would have balked at the thought of using the Joker's money. It would have been a soul sucking weight in her wallet, a dirty secret, something to be ashamed of. Thinking back to the time she spent on his work last night, Eva clutched the bills and shook her head. Spending the money she earned wouldn't hurt. After all, she'd accepted money from several gang and mafia affiliates before. At the end of the day, the Joker was no different. Even if they had spent a few nights together.

Pulling out of the docks, Eva put the shame from her mind. Opting for thoughts of freshly brewed coffee and the best doughnuts in Gotham. The drive to Spud's would take about 20 minutes, but it was well worth it. Reaching for the dial on her radio, she turned up the volume.

Judy's in the front seat picking up trash

Living on the dole, gotta make that cash

Wont be pretty

Wont be sweet!

She's just sitting there on her feet

Singin

Oh Lord heaven knows,

We belong way down below

Way down below

Way down below.

Nodding her head to the beat, Eva zeroed in on the road ahead, accelerating to pass up several slow moving cars.

20 minutes later found her parking alongside Spud's Doughnut Hole, grabbing a $50 from the stack of bills, she went inside. Only to stumble a little at the rather unusual sight that greeted her. The place was incredibly busy, a bit weird for the early afternoon, doughnuts weren't exactly lunch based food. It wasn't until she looked at the counter that she found the cause. There in his Italian suited glory stood, billionaire, playboy, pretty boy, Bruce fucking Wayne. He seemed completely unbothered by his little entourage, choosing to remain fully engrossed in selecting his doughnuts.

The door clanged shut behind Eva, announcing her presence amid the noise of fangirls. One of the counter girls glanced up and shot her a smile, revealing the bit of skull jewelry wedged between her upper front teeth. "Eva!"

Smiling, and ignoring Wayne, the tattooist walked over to the display to greet one of her many clients. "Lorna! How are you? How's my masterpiece?"

Side eyeing Wayne, Lorna flushed. "I'll be in, in a couple months to wrap up the color. And I've got my hands full."

Raising an eyebrow, Eva smirked "I see that, am I the only one that doesn't turn into a flaunting mess around money?"

Flipping a fringe of purple hair out of her eyes, Lora glared. "You act like he's toxic waste."

Leaning forward, Eva looked over the selection "The paradise of the rich is made out of the hell of the poor."

The doughnut girl rolled her eyes, but froze. Noting the silence, Eva drew back up and found Lorna staring behind her "And, there is always more misery among the lower classes than there is humanity in the higher."

All she wanted was one day of normalcy. Last night brought Joker, and today from Bruce fucking Wayne. Turning, Eva greeted the billionaire with a smile. He returned it in kind "I apologize, I couldn't help overhearing…"

The shop seemed to go quiet as the pair sized each other up "I'd say it's rude to ease drop, but I'm not exactly quiet about my opinions."

Nodding, Wayne extended his hand "Bruce Wayne…"

Staring at his hand, Eva chuckled and shook it "I know, billionaire, playboy, the King of Gotham's elite…. I'm Eva."

Gifting her with his most charming smile, Wayne kept a gentle grasp on her hand. Coaxing out more than just her first name "Eva…?"

Lorna chose that moment to jump in "Evelina Anton, she's my tattoo artist."

She spun and pointed out the work on her back, a rather large and well detailed octopus darned the upper part of her shoulders with tentacles reaching down her shirt and curling around her arms. Wayne eyed the piece as he let go of Eva's hand. Recognition shined in his eyes. Reaching for his wallet, he pulled out a mint condition business card. Eva recognized it immediately. "Aww, yes Ms. Anton, I'm a rather recent admirer of your work."

A couple camera flashes went off at his hands, Eva glanced over her shoulder to glare at the offenders. She didn't need this kind of attention, heck she didn't even want it. Recovering from that thought, Eva put on her business face "Oh?"

Pocketing her card, he nodded. "Yes, I was hoping to have you commission a piece for me. Not a tattoo of course…"

The crowd shared a chuckle at his statement. Catching on that she was unimpressed with his joke, Wayne recovered himself "They look flawless on you and Lorna of course, but I'm not one for tattoos, on myself."

She was done playing his game, whatever it was. Eva just wanted her doughnuts and coffee. "If we could wrap this up Mr. Wayne, I have a session at the parlor starting in an hour, and I need to prep…"

Nodding, he continued. "I was hoping you'd be willing to do a painting for me."

A strange request "Mr. Wayne, I haven't picked up a paintbrush in several years."

He continued "Yes, Heather and Virgil told me, but I was hoping for the right price you'd be willing to make an exception."

Licking her lips, Eva eyed the billionaire. Suppose it wouldn't hurt, and knowing the client. The money would be good. "Tell you what Mr. Wayne, give me a call later this week and we can schedule a time to talk about what you want."

Thankfully, Lorna had prepared her usual order while Eva and Wayne had been chatting. Making for an easy escape. After saying goodbye to Wayne, the tattooist slipped out the door. All but throwing the box of doughnuts into the passenger seat. Taking a long swig of her coffee, she sighed. "I seriously need a vacation."

(Author's note: After many requests and questions about Gotham's favorite billionaire, I found a place to stick him in the story. Hopefully I did him justice, Bruce Wayne is not exactly my strong point when it comes to canon character depiction. Hope you all like it! And, yours truly is counting down the days to her two week solo trip to Germany. 5 months to go!)


	42. Vomit in the Alley

The evening found Eva stepping into the local pub down the street from her apartment. The week had been incredibly trying and since Joker had laid waste to her wine store, the only place to drink herself into forgetting was McGinty's Pub.

Taking a seat at the bar, Eva glanced at the tap selection. Settling for a Whiskey River Rye brew, fancy beer kept in whiskey barrels. Taking a gulp, she visibly relaxed as the alcohol warmed her, a few more gulps made her head swim a little, taking a delicate plunge into the sweet land of inebriation. "Fuck this week."

Settling further into her stool, she kept her eyes trained on her glass, watching the carbonation bubble its way around. Slowly, Eva reached for the space just behind her ear, hissing she jerked her hand away. Finding the fresh ink tender to the touch. Even with a light brush of her finger tips, Eva could still make out the risen J that had been jabbed into her skin. Groaning, she took around gulp of her beer and quietly requested another round.

Much to her chagrin, Eva had to admit he was good fuck…. But a tattoo artist he was not. Yes, fresh ink was supposed to be sore, but he had jabbed so hard that there would be some serious scaring. Then again, she wouldn't be surprised if that's what he had been aiming for. The ink would fade someday, but that scar was forever.

Sneering into her glass, she guzzled the remainder of her beer, hissing at the undertones of whiskey. At this point, Eva figured that she had found her latest hobby, drinking until she couldn't see straight. It was absolute bliss at this point, and it would have made for a good night had her fun not be interrupted. The stool next to her was pulled out, and Frost took a seat next to her. "Aaaahh f-fuck whatdya want Frosted Tips?"

He stared, a bit thrown by her slurring and his new nickname. "How much have you had?"

Head lulling a bit, Eva took another swig "Enoughfff ta drown an elephant, why?"

Frost shook his head and went to stand behind her. "I should get you home, Boss wouldn't want you out like this."

She remained seated "Fuck im, I've gotta new hobby. Ya tell im tha…"

Her head swam, and she swayed a little. Resulting a Frost reaching for her glass and pushing it away, causing the contents to slosh all over the bar. "Fuck Frost, that shits super expensive."

He grabbed her arms and hoisted her off the stool "You're going home."

Eva swayed but had enough wherewithal to push the body guard away. "I don't wanna go home, na if he's there!"

Glancing around, Frost took in the spectators. Sighing, he opted for a new tactic. "Boss ain't there, he's recovering the session."

Eva eyed him, and he noticed that she was beginning to tear up. "Frost, promise me, he's na there."

Even in her drunken state, she was well aware that she couldn't handle another minute of Joker's brutalization. The thought of him touching her made her want to puke. Speaking off which, Eva turned a brilliant shade of green and went stumbling out the door into the alley.

Frost wrinkled his nose and followed her out. All he had to do was follow the sounds of retching into the dark corners of the alley. Eva was on her hands and knees, wiping away bits of partially digested doughnut and warm beer mixed with stomach fluids. Despite the fact that her head was still buzzing, Eva found herself slightly sobered. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and her body was shaking uncontrollably. Pulling away from the pool of vomit, Eva found herself staring into it. "He's not there?'

The puking had kick started her brain, but her head was still swimming. Slowly, she glanced over her shoulder at the bodyguard. Frost flinched, her eyes had gone red and her mouth still had bits of puke on it. Joker sure knew how to break them. At this point, even he felt pity for the Boss's girl. "He ain't there, I promise."

Nodding, Eva looked away as if consulting. "Alright, can't walk without fallin over anyway."

Spitting out the left over chunky bits of vomit, Eva offered her hand to Frost. Allowing him to help her up. "Car's out front."

She paused and stared up at him "s'not the Lamborghini is it?"

He smirked, even when she was broken mess of puke and wreaked of beer, the tattooist still managed to be funny. "Na, that's like the car version of you, boss won't let anyone near it."

Eva laughed despite herself, although she felt like she was gonna be sick again.

(Author's Note: Got a promotion 2 month ago, better pay, better hours, better PTO, all the benefits. I go to Germany in 2 months, and I might be getting my own place next year. So there's my life update!

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy the latest installment. Seems that Eva is starting to let herself go, and it looks like Joker is starting to assign a regular tail on her.)


	43. New Found Respect

Frost placed an arm around the girl's waist and guided her to his car. By the time they reached it, Eva had lapsed into a daze. Her skin had grown clammy and her eyes were darting around wildly beneath her eyelids. Depositing her into the passenger seat, Frost stared at her. Recalling the night that he had first seen her. Terrified, yet fearless as she aimed a pistol at the Boss's head. On the drive back from her shop, Joker confessed that she intrigued him. "Mmmm, Frost I think I'm in love."

The boss had made claims like that many times before. Such declarations meant nothing, normally the subjects of such declarations did not last long. It was common knowledge among all in Gotham, Frost had that first hand. After all, he was the one that would find ways to dispose of the broken corpses that Joker left behind as he tore through the women of Gotham. Being the subject of the Boss's fascination tagged on a life expectancy of about a month.

Still, Frost knew something was different when Joker saw Eva for the second time at the Ice Burg Lounge. He noticed how the clown's eyes lit up when the tattooist lashed out at the creep that attempted to date rape her. Out of the corner of his eye, he observed as his boss licked his lips excitedly and sent Mickey after the attempted rapist with instructions to cut out the poor fuckers tongue and to cauterize the stub. Joker had given gifts to his women in the past, all gold and silver. He'd never given the gift of blood, the gift of revenge.

The fact that Eva was different from the others, was solidified when he saw the Boss come back one night from her place, covered in bruises and scratches. Normally, the act of fighting back would be rewarded with a bullet to the head. Yet, Joker was not angry, he was excited, as if Eva had managed to pass some insanely difficult test.

With a sigh, Frost leaned over the girl and buckled her in. The Boss was intent to keep her, for how long he wasn't exactly certain. In some ways, he felt Eva lucky, having the favor of a man like Joker was an honor. Even though she didn't know it yet, she'd never be without while she was the boss's lady. Everything would be at her fingertips, no one would dare touch her, she could easily walk up and down the streets of Gotham naked and not have to worry about being attacked. Word had and was spreading. The tattooist that ran Naughty Needles, belonged to the Clown Prince of Gotham, do wrong by her, you do wrong by the clown.

At that moment, Eva whimpered and her eyes opened to slits "Frost?"

He pulled away and stared at her "Yeah?"

Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she looked away and spat one last wad of puke onto the ground. "Nothing, s'nothing. Take me home."

Sighing, Frost walked around and got into the driver side, she'd learn. In time she'd learn to appreciate what Joker could offer. He did, being his first in command had not been an easy gig to rise to. At times, Frost had felt similar to Eva, but here he was. By extent of the Joker, feared and respected by Gotham. "You'll learn to appreciate the Boss."

What followed was several minutes of silence and Eva staring out the window. At last she spoke "Does he fuck and brutalize ya too, Frost?"

The first in command balked for a second, eyes darting to meet the tattooist's. She knew the answer. The car had come to a stop at a light, and without a word, Eva unbuckled and got out the car. "Hey!"

Slamming the door behind her, Eva called. "We're done talking."

Pulling alongside the curb, Frost threw the car into park and went after here. "Eva! Get back in the car!"

She didn't look back, choosing to wobble her way down the alley that lead to her apartment. The walls created an echo of her muttering "No, no, no, no."

This was growing tiresome. "Eva!"

When she turned, her head spun a little bit and she lurched, barley catching another round of vomit. Swallowing back the bile, Eva screamed. "I said no! He can do what he wants to me, but if you fucking touch me, you're a dead man!"

Frost stopped in his tracks, realizing how real that threat was. Shaking her head, Eva steadied herself on the alley wall, fingers digging into the grime of the bricks. "He killed the last guy tha' touched me, what make s'you so special?"

He saw the boss then, it was in her eyes. The zeal of insanity that made his eyes electric, only to spiral and come out hollow. Eva's flashed the same way. His muscled clenched, as if at attention, such a response was only trigged when he was in the presence of the Joker. It was a feeling of respect, laced with terror.

Sneering, Eva pushed herself from the wall and turned her back on him. "Don't fucking follow me."

She had no intention of going home, the Joker would find her there. All she wanted to do was curl up someplace warm and sleep off the haze of alcohol and the hangover yet to come. As Eva, turned the corner at the head of the alley, she poked her head around. It seemed that Frost had headed her advice.

Rubbing the bridge between her eyes, Eva plotted a course to a nearby motel. There, she would take a shower, and sleep it off, without the possible and very likely intrusion of the Joker. Making her way towards her assumed safe haven, Eva remained oblivious to the car that appeared to be tailing her. Despite Frost's growing respect for her, he respected and feared the boss far more. He'd be a dead man if he didn't see Eva somewhere safely.


End file.
